“Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!” ~ Psalm 27:14
REFERENCE:
I remember the excitement of learning about the germination of seeds as a young kid in science class. Our teacher told us to plant a bean seed in a tin filled with soil. It takes a particular time for the germination, but the curiosity and impatience of youth got the better of me. I woke up every morning to scoop out the soil, wondering how long it would take to sprout. Sadly, it died and never sprouted; my impatience did not let me see the fruit of my effort. Wait on the Lord.
Our text reveals the transforming power of patience and the strength of trusting in God’s timing. Patience is a great virtue and assures our hearts that God has not forgotten us even when He seems to delay. The world preaches instant gratification, but the bible teaches the value of waiting on God. Isaiah 40:31 says, “Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.” Waiting on God is not passive but an active trust borne out of faith in God.
Patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, a manifestation of His work in us. It produces the stamina needed while waiting for God to act and keeps us from making harmful hasty decisions. The absence of patience often leads us to take matters into our own hands. In contrast, patience allows the wisdom of God to guide our steps and gives us the calmness of spirit to make wise decisions.
God’s timing is the best. Waiting on the Lord is a soil in which hope and trust flourish. We build character in the wait and become like God, who reveals His strength in patience. The Yorubas say, “Patience can cook a stone until it is soft.” If you embrace patience and God’s timing, nothing will be impossible for you; there is no situation you won’t outlast and overcome.
A farmer sows seeds and waits for the right season, cultivating the soil and tending the young plants. Impatience might drive him to harvest prematurely, like young me, but patience allows the crops to mature fully, yielding a bountiful harvest. In the fields of our lives, God has planted seeds and is cultivating them; patience is what ensures that the harvest will be rich and full.
PHOTO QUOTE
ADDITIONAL TEXTS:
Psalm 37:7, Proverbs 14:29, and James 5:7-8
PRAYER:
+ Holy Spirit, please help me to cultivate the fruit of patience in my life more than ever.
+ Wherever I have missed God’s best because of impatience, I demand a restoration.
+ From today, may I wholeheartedly embrace waiting on the Lord, in Jesus’ name.
