Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations.
Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience.
But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4.
The attribute of patience is most likely nothing near what you thought it was.
Most people think that we have to grin and bear it when things go wrong, or something did not turn out as they had wished. Perhaps they had asked for prayer regarding sickness, so when the symptoms remain, think that they never got healed and so ask God to give them patience to endure it!
That is completely wrong and contrary to the mind and will of God according to His Word!
One of God's passionate desires for you is to live in Divine health and lack for nothing. There are scores of scriptures to back up my statement, but look at what John said about the matter.
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 3 John 1:2-4.
Waking in divine health and living prosperously is walking in the truth! It is impossible to give God glory in poverty or sickness. No one can support the ministry... any ministry if they are broke! It takes money to preach the gospel. Someone has to pay the bills. This web site for example, does not come cheaply. The factors involved are many and varied, ranging from the costs of the computer hardware, the software, a connection to the internet, web site hosting and more and I am pleased to do this, but if I was poor in the way religion teaches, you would not be here now!
Getting back to the point of sickness. Religious folk say that they did not get their healing, so opt for second best, asking God to give them patience to endure it.
That is totally wrong!
If they need employment and cannot get a job, they ask God to help them to last the distance. We are not supposed to last the distance! We are not supposed to endure it! We are destined to rule and reign in life with Him right here and now!
Jesus never told us to occupy til I come in Luke 19:13 so that we can simply hang in there, hoping for Him to come soon and rescue us or to take us out of here. No! No! No! He meant us to take charge. Adam was in charge. Jesus was in charge and we are meant to represent the King in His Kingdom as ambassadors who are also in charge. Ambassadors have authority and access to resources, backed by their government back home. We have access to the storehouses of our government back home... the government of God... the kingdom of Heaven.
They have delegated power and authority. We have delegated authority.
If they have that in the kingdoms of the world, how much more do we have full access to the resources of Heaven?
Patience is not the weak, inert, inactive element that allows us to tolerate difficult situations whereby if we hang in there long enough God will give us a commendation.
Patience is a powerful force that works hand in hand with faith...
Patience is Consistency
What is patience?
Webster's Dictionary describes patience as being- The capacity, habit, or fact of being patient; to suffer; bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint, manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain; not hasty or impetuous; steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity; able or willing to bear.
These certainly are good descriptions, but what does God say about it?
In one word, it is consistency. Being patient is the act of being consistently consistent.
For example, look at our passage in James.
The word Patience comes from the Greek word ὑπομονή (hypomonē).
All these are active ingredients. Rather than waiting for things to get better or change, or hoping that you will last the distance and that God will rescue you from this bad world, patience is a powerfully strong state of being. It is remaining consistent at all times, standing steadfast on the solid rock of your faith, knowing that God is in charge and that He is so much on our side, that you are the winner. If you have something to aim for and hope for—some word of promise that God has given you, then hell will freeze over before He will forsake you and you go down!
Scriptures give us many examples and role models to look to. They all exercised this powerful attribute and every one of them received what God had for them. We shall look at a few, starting with Jesus who is our true champion.
Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds. Hebrews 12:1-3.
This was no hoping against hope and settling for status quo, but an active element. We are to get deeply involved, not passively waiting for something to happen. We are to strip off the hindrances; run the race; look away from the distractions; focus on the objective; not grow weary and want to quit. Jesus could have done that, but He had a vision and would not let go of it. If you have a vision of some kind, never let go of it. Do not look at your surroundings and allow the conditions around you to take over, for if you do, you will sink! Instead, be consistently consistent. Run and keep running the race; keep your eyes on the prize ahead and be assured that one who did it all before you, is there with you all the time.
Hebrews 13:8 tells us that He has not changed, so you can be assured that He is consistently consistent in all things.
Patience Breeds Champions Of The Faith
Jesus, as I have stated, is our champion. He is our role model. There are of course several others. As we look at their lives, including the life of Jesus, please remember that every single one of them were ordinary men. Jesus was and is God of course, but He ministered on earth like one of us. If He, as the Second Adam could do it, so can you.Turn with me to the Faith Chapter of the bible... Hebrews chapter eleven.
Faith assures us of things we expect and convinces us of the existence of things we cannot see. God accepted our ancestors because of their faith. Faith convinces us that God created the world through his word. This means what can be seen was made by something that could not be seen. Faith led Abel to offer God a better sacrifice than Cain's sacrifice. Through his faith Abel received God's approval, since God accepted his sacrifices. Through his faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. Faith enabled Enoch to be taken instead of dying. No one could find him, because God had taken him. Scripture states that before Enoch was taken, God was pleased with him. No one can please God without faith. Whoever goes to God must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Hebrews 11:1-6.
This is why I stated before that Faith and patience go hand in hand.
Faith is active believing. Faith is expressive. Faith causes one to do something. It exasperates me in certain conversations I have had with some people, when I tell them a truth in God and they nod their head and say, Yes, yes, I know. Liars! Their fruit or lack thereof tells the truth and when it comes to the point of exercising their faith, everything is pure mental assent. They are religious! Religious people speak about the faith, but never act on it!
My brothers and sisters, what good does it do if someone claims to have faith but doesn't do any good things? Can this kind of faith save him? Suppose a believer, whether a man or a woman, needs clothes or food and one of you tells that person, “God be with you! Stay warm, and make sure you eat enough.” If you don't provide for that person's physical needs, what good does it do? In the same way, faith by itself is dead if it doesn't cause you to do any good things. Another person might say, “You have faith, but I do good things.” Show me your faith apart from the good things you do. I will show you my faith by the good things I do. You believe that there is one God. That's fine! The demons also believe that, and they tremble with fear. You fool! Do you have to be shown that faith which does nothing is useless? Didn't our ancestor Abraham receive God's approval as a result of what he did when he offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice on the altar? You see that Abraham's faith and what he did worked together. His faith was shown to be genuine by what he did. The Scripture passage came true. It says, “Abraham believed God, and that faith was regarded by God to be his approval of Abraham.” So Abraham was called God's friend. You see that a person receives God's approval because of what he does, not only because of what he believes. The same is true of the prostitute Rahab who welcomed the spies and sent them away on another road. She received God's approval because of what she did. A body that doesn't breathe is dead. In the same way faith that does nothing is dead. James 2:14-26.
Merely believing is not enough. James tells us that the demons believe in God, but they have no relationship! Their destiny is very bad. You must do more than merely believe. You must be obedient, disciplined, dedicated and committed, born again, blood washed, redeemed and in covenant relationship and then it all works! I know good people who say Yes and amen to all I preach, but know nothing about God and His ways whatsoever. For some mysterious reason, they think it does not apply to them when it comes to correction and advice, but always to some other person; they confess the blessings, say the right sayings, read the bible and do all the things one expects, but they do not know God!
Patience breeds Champions of the faith!
Look now at champion number one—Noah.
Faith led Noah to listen when God warned him about the things in the future that he could not see. He obeyed God and built a ship to save his family. Through faith Noah condemned the world and received God's approval that comes through faith. Hebrews 11:7.
God commanded him to build an ark, because the flood was coming. They didn’t know what rain was! No one knew what a boat was! Noah, trusting God, putting his faith into action, went ahead on the basis of the Word of the Lord and built the thing. It took him 120 years to do it, all the while he preached the word, warning people of the coming flood and no one other than his immediate family believed him!
This is a classic example of what I mean—faith and patience working together.
One day, the rain came, but he had no proof until the first drop landed on his head! For 120 years, he had been patient, exercising his trust and faith and was obedient to the word of the Lord. In other words, he was being consistently consistent.
Our next champion is Father Abraham.
Faith led Abraham to obey when God called him to go to a place that he would receive as an inheritance. Abraham left his own country without knowing where he was going. Faith led Abraham to live as a foreigner in the country that God had promised him. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who received the same promise from God. Abraham was waiting for the city that God had designed and built, the city with permanent foundations. Faith enabled Abraham to become a father, even though he was old and Sarah had never been able to have children. Abraham trusted that God would keep his promise. Abraham was as good as dead. Yet, from this man came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the grains of sand on the seashore. Hebrews 11:8-12.
God said, Abram, Pack up and move. That’s all! Abram heard the command and obeyed it. Imagine him asking, Where? God said, I’ll tell you when you get there.
This was before Moses’ time! No one knew who God was then. Moses had to ask Him and the answer never made grammatical sense. I Am that I Am.
No one had a covenant relations in the sense we understand one now. Abram didn’t know where he was going, but he went anyhow. Despite a few mistakes here and there, this man became the father of us all and he still never received everything God personally promised him, looking for the city that God was to build! Hallelujah! We’re all going to visit there soon! God promised him a son when he was past it and 25 years later Isaac was born.
Other champions are like a who's who list that is summed up in Hebrews chapter eleven.
They include, Abel, Enoch, Moses, Joshua, Caleb, Gideon, Rahab, David, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, Esther, Ruth, Samuel and the prophets, Stephen, Philip, Peter, James, John, Paul and many others.
Were they perfect? No! They were as human as you and me and made their mistakes too. Noah got drunk, David committed adultery and murder, Gideon wanted proof, Rahab was a prostitute, Stephen was killed and Samson had a woman problem but they are recorded in the bible to encourage us in our walk of faith.
Abraham was told to go leave his family behind, but he took his father and Lot with his family. He reached the Promised Land, but kept going into Egypt. He lied about his wife and let her be taken into a harem, but he learned how to please God. Faith was put into motion and patience kept the wheels turning!
The Patience Of Job
I’ve often heard people comment on the patience of Job. I agree that he was a patient man, but not in the way those statements were made. Foolish people who do not know better think like that. They think for some reason that God allows sickness and problems to come upon us. They mistakenly believe that such things come to test us or to teach us lessons. We can of course be tested and we can of course learn from life’s experiences, but they are not God’s way of teaching us. We are taught from the Word of God and the Holy Spirit is our teacher. When we get that right, things will fall into place correctly and we can live the way God intends us to live.
Look at the matter of testing. James makes it very clear that God is NOT the author.
Blessed are those who endure when they are tested. When they pass the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. When someone is tempted, he shouldn't say that God is tempting him. God can't be tempted by evil, and God doesn't tempt anyone. Everyone is tempted by his own desires as they lure him away and trap him. Then desire becomes pregnant and gives birth to sin. When sin grows up, it gives birth to death. My dear brothers and sisters, don't be fooled. Every good present and every perfect gift comes from above, from the Father who made the sun, moon, and stars. The Father doesn't change like the shifting shadows produced by the sun and the moon. James 1:12-17.
Most times, temptation comes from within. Your own mind—your own imagination, thoughts; desires; passions; lusts; lack of self discipline and the like are more often than not the source. Often times, you cant even blame the devil for it. That can be a real copout you know. This is why we are to put the old man to death inside us. This is why we are to control our thought life. This is why we are to speak the word of God. Turn the TV off if you must and watch Christian DVD’s instead. Go to sleep early and wake early to spend time with the Father. Are you a Disciple of Christ or a self-centred, lazy and selfish wimp? Deal with it now and you will be victorious.
Job’s problems were self-induced! His own actions and confession gave the devil a legal basis on which he could operate and God’s hands were tied. I often told my church, If you are in a submarine, don’t open a porthole. The bible tells us do not give the devil an opportunity. He is a legalist and he will take it. God thought well of the man. Look at his testimony-
There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who [reverently] feared God and abstained from and shunned evil [because it was wrong]. Job 1:1.
You could not ask for any greater commendation than that, but he had one failing. He neglected to train and discipline his children properly. They were not like him and he let them get away with things that they should never have touched! This was the handle of that porthole in the submarine I mentioned!
And when the days of their feasting were over, Job sent for them to purify and hallow them, and rose up early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed or disowned God in their hearts. Thus did Job at all [such] times. Job 1:5.
Job was not a good father and allowed them to do their thing without correcting them and this was the thin edge of the wedge that allowed the devil entry into the court of Heaven.
One day when the sons of God came to stand in front of the LORD, Satan the Accuser came along with them. The LORD asked Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the LORD, “From wandering all over the earth.” The LORD asked Satan, “Have you thought about my servant Job? No one in the world is like him! He is a man of integrity: He is decent, he fears God, and he stays away from evil.” Satan answered the LORD, “Haven't you given Job a reason to fear God? Haven't you put a protective fence around him, his home, and everything he has? You have blessed everything he does. His cattle have spread out over the land. But now stretch out your hand, and strike everything he has. I bet he'll curse you to your face.” The LORD told Satan, “Everything he has is in your power, but you must not lay a hand on him!” Then Satan left the LORD'S presence. Job 1:6-12.
There is a great misconception in many areas of the church. Religion teaches us that God in essence instigated the proceedings. He did not!
The devil was not even supposed to have entry. God never permitted him there at all and asked him in essence, What do you think you are doing? How come you are here? You have no right to present yourself here. Study it out in the original languages yourself and you will see the truth. Satan was the accuser. He came for one task which was to look for a doorway of opportunity to accuse and slander someone and Job gave it to him!
Paul speaks about this kind of thing-
So I tell you and encourage you in the Lord's name not to live any longer like other people in the world. Their minds are set on worthless things. They can't understand because they are in the dark. They are excluded from the life that God approves of because of their ignorance and stubbornness. Since they no longer have any sense of shame, they have become promiscuous. They practice every kind of sexual perversion with a constant desire for more. But that is not what you learned from Christ's teachings. You have certainly heard his message and have been taught his ways. The truth is in Jesus. You were taught to change the way you were living. The person you used to be will ruin you through desires that deceive you. However, you were taught to have a new attitude. You were also taught to become a new person created to be like God, truly righteous and holy. So then, get rid of lies. Speak the truth to each other, because we are all members of the same body. Be angry without sinning. Don't go to bed angry. Don't give the devil any opportunity {to work}. Thieves must quit stealing and, instead, they must work hard. They should do something good with their hands so that they'll have something to share with those in need. Don't say anything that would hurt {another person}. Instead, speak only what is good so that you can give help wherever it is needed. That way, what you say will help those who hear you. Don't give God's Holy Spirit any reason to be upset with you. He has put his seal on you for the day you will be set free {from the world of sin}. Get rid of your bitterness, hot tempers, anger, loud quarreling, cursing, and hatred. Be kind to each other, sympathetic, forgiving each other as God has forgiven you through Christ. Ephesians 4:17-32.
Paul was telling us not to let the devil get anything on us, because as the accuser of the brethren, he will take whatever opportunity you give him!
When the devil accused Job, God's reply was something like, What do you think you are doing? How dare you even think of touching My servant Job.
Listen very carefully now! God never did a thing to harm Job. The Lord did Not give and take away! What Job said was not truth. Religious people say that, without realising that the devil did the stealing, killing and destroying, because he is the thief and Jesus said so! See John 10:10.
All He did was to place a limit on the devil's activity! Satan wanted God to stretch out His hand and harm Job. The Lord gives, but the Lord NEVER takes away! Job and religions people got it wrong! The devil was responsible for Job's problems and God had to allow this because of legal grounds. Job's own confession led to his own undoing. He said-
“Why give light to one in misery and life to those who find it so bitter, to those who long for death but it never comes— though they dig for it more than for buried treasure? They are ecstatic, delighted to find the grave. Why give light to those whose paths have been hidden, to those whom God has fenced in? “When my food is in front of me, I sigh. I pour out my groaning like water. What I fear most overtakes me. What I dread happens to me. I have no peace! I have no quiet! I have no rest! And trouble keeps coming!” Job 3:20-26.
Job received what he kept confessing, which shows that Jesus' words in Luke 6:45 and Proverbs 18:21 are true!
If you study the life of Job properly, you will see that he eventually got his mindset and attitudes correct and God turned it around. He finished up better than he started, but he had to get truth and revelation into his being before this happened-
Then Job said to the Lord, I know that You can do all things, and that no thought or purpose of Yours can be restrained or thwarted. [You said to me] Who is this that darkens and obscures counsel [by words] without knowledge? Therefore [I now see] I have [rashly] uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. [I had virtually said to You what You have said to me:] Hear, I beseech You, and I will speak; I will demand of You, and You declare to me. I had heard of You [only] by the hearing of the ear, but now my [spiritual] eye sees You. Therefore I loathe [my words] and abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes. Job 42:1-6.
You see, he had no intimate relationship beforehand. He only heard about God, but now he knew God. He said foolish things. He repented and confessed his sin, then God stepped in and saved the man. It says in chapter forty-two and verse twelve that the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning.
The patience of Job?
Faith and Patience Receives The Promises
Do you have a dream or a vision? Do you have something you are hoping will happen? Perhaps God has spoken to you and you are expectant. Perhaps you are wondering what to do next, or thinking that this is taking too long for its manifestation.
Somewhere between Amen and There it is—is where you are right now.
I know how you feel! I have been there and been there often. Let me add, that you will always be in this place in your life, because there is always something bigger, or better, or something to add to what you already have over the horizon.
This is probably because of two main factors. Firstly, God is bigger that you imagine. Perhaps this is why Paul, Marge and I pray for you and for our own selves constantly. Paul said-
For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21.
God is exceeding; God is more than abundant; God is big; He and His provisions are beyond our finite knowledge, so He is always bigger and better and has more things in store for you than you can imagine. He told Abram to count the stars! You try that!
It staggers me to think that the God of all creation lives inside me and loves me intimately, so when He promises something—it is always there.
The instant He speaks it is real!
Whatever it is, that thing, be it blessing, provision, healing, deliverance, peace, joy or anything else you care to name is already there. The problem (if I could call it problem) is getting it from the Amen stage to the There it is stage and here is where faith and patience kick in. This is the nuts and bolts part of the message. I am assuming that you are in right relationship with God; that your life is in order and that you have no blockages due to sin, hatred, an unforgiving attitude and the like.
I am assuming that you are 100% on target in everything and that your expectations are Godly ones, so here is what to do-
Trust God! Be obedient! Do all that He has asked of you, without complaint, or procrastination. Never delay, even if it seems strange. Whatever God tells you to do; do it! Do not postpone your day of visitation
Exercise your faith! See it as completed, but be wise about it. For example, if there is illness involved—never, ever, never, never ever say to anyone including yourself that the sickness is not there. Telling someone who is ill when they say something like, I have arthritis, that they don’t is a lie! The arthritic condition is there! The pain is real! Do not ignore symptoms or tell anyone else that. If the other person is not saved, you risk offending them, perhaps losing them or look like a fool in their sight. One thing that may happen is that the reputation of the Kingdom is at stake. As a believer, we have the right to deny the right of that sickness to remain and pray accordingly! That is the difference
Do whatever you can to accommodate it and prepare to receive it. Make appropriate changes and readjustments as the Lord leads. Always be adaptable to change and ready for anything
Be patient
Be thankful
Continue to be patient
Continue to be thankful
Keep continuing to be patient and have an attitude of gratitude
Obtain the promise!
The Timing Factor
This really is where the rubber meets the road. You might be in a meeting when a renowned preacher prophecies and that word lines up with things you already know in your spirit. God had already been speaking to you and so you got all excited about it, perhaps telling others about it and then comes the test of all tests. Firstly, the nagging questions like, Did I really hear from God, may start, then a discouragement of some sort comes even from someone you thought would understand and encourage you, then something else happens and time races on... and on... and on.
Jesus said that the devil comes in almost before you catch your breath to steal that seed from you. See Mark4:15. Jesus also told us to listen and receive the word. In other words, if you've got ears, then listen to God!
If you hear the word, then act on it! Do not say, Wow! That's great and never change what you are doing, but put it to work...now! If God told you something, then act on it. Far too many people never get their promise because they do nothing to get it! They dream on and fantasise but never do a thing. It is good to dream and imagine yourself in the thing. I do, but we must also plan to receive and put it into action.
The first step to take is to ascertain once and for all that you did indeed hear from the Lord and not any other source.
Sometimes we need to exercise wisdom and restraint and not go racing off blabbing everything to all and sundry, because you will definitely encounter dream killers! I know form personal experience that certain matters I had planned were all but killed because members of my church could not keep their mouths shut! Sometimes we must make a positive faith confession, but please saints, please use your brain and know when to shut up; who to speak to and who to avoid speaking with!
Make sure by biblical principles that you are not in deception. Your own vain imagining and desires can deceive you as much as the enemy can.
Get counsel and advice is you need to, but seeking confirmation after confirmation can lead to confusion or trouble. There are times when seeking counsel and advice from others is a good thing. It is a biblical principle and I apply this often, but we also need to be wise in who advises us! That other person may not be qualified, just not might see things as you do, or the time is not quite right yet. I try to avoid preaching or sharing in any way about a matter whilst I am going through something, because I may not yet know the full outcome. If it is of God, then sit on it! Cultivate it. Meditate on it. Seek scriptural foundations for your belief and get alone with God on it.
Paul said that he did not race off straight away to get recognition (this is what most of us do), but got with God first!
But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother. Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not. Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ: But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. And they glorified God in me. Galatians 1:15-24.
If this is from God, it will remain in you like a seed that will grow, providing you don't kill it!
You can kill the seed by negative speaking, by expressing doubts, negativity, fear, jealousy or pride. The green eyed monster called jealousy resides in the church you know!
If this is a God given vision, do not try to make it happen, for it has an appointed time. Everything can be likened to a seed that has an appointed time. Your time may be different to mine, but if it is God, then God's time is what matters. If it seems to delay, do not bow to the pressure of time. Abraham did that and Ishmael is the result. The ghost of Hagar haunts us to this day!
Habakkuk 2:3 says-
For the vision is yet for an appointed time and it hastens to the end [fulfillment]; it will not deceive or disappoint. Though it tarry, wait [earnestly] for it, because it will surely come; it will not be behindhand on its appointed day.
There is a set time or season for it. See also Jeremiah 8:7.
If the season is not right, or has not yet arrived, worrying about it and chafing at the bit will do nothing but frustrate you and possible the purposes of God. My favorite fruit is available only in summer. Peaches; Nectarines; Plums; Cherries and such fruit are not found in winter. The trees look dead and lifeless, but when spring comes in a change of season, the flowers are beautiful indeed, but still no fruit! The fruit comes when it is the right time, so when God promises you a thing, there is a set time for it to arrive and it is His time!
When God speaks to you, He counts it as already finished. It is a done deal. He is limited by nothing other than your own free will and obedience. I will say that again in another way. With God all things are possible. Jesus said that in Matthew 19:26; Mark 9:23 and Mark 10:27. You have to believe.
Notice also what God told Habakkuk.
Then the LORD answered me, "Write the vision. Make it clear on tablets so that anyone can read it quickly. Habakkuk 2:2.
In other words, Prepare yourself for it; get ready to receive it and do all you can to handle it, for if it does come, you will lose it. Imagine being in drought and rain comes. If you do not get containers to hold the water, you will lose it. Similarly, if your container is not in good condition, let us say, with holes in it, you will lose it.
My friend, never ask God for something that you are not prepared to receive or not qualified to handle! You must prepare yourself to receive it. Isaiah 54:2-3 says-
Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; spare not; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes, for you will spread abroad to the right hand and to the left; and your offspring will possess the nations and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.
He is speaking about making preparations and they always involve a timing element. If there is a time element involved, then there has to be a waiting time and if there is a waiting time, then there is the need to exercise faith and Patience!
Many years ago, the Lord had spoken to me in a powerful way, confirmed by reputable independent means about a huge wealth transfer into the ministry. This was before others made it popular! The Lord told me, Robert, If I had given you the money then... it would have destroyed you! He was correct! I did not know how to handle such resources and would have messed up my life big time, but now that I have matured somewhat and learned a few things, He can trust me.
Can God trust you?
Exercising Your Faith AND Patience
You and I are constantly facing issues in life. We all have certain needs, wants and desires and if you are anything like me, have dreams, hopes and aspirations for certain things to happen in your life. The most important thing for us to remember is the fact that God loves us more than you can imagine and that He never changes. He never grows old, gets weary, or changes His mind abut anything. Malachi 3:6 says that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 says that Jesus Christ always remains the same.
What this means to us is that in the good times, He is the same and in the bad times He is the same. The God of the night is also the God in the morning; the God in the calm is also the God in the storm. You can trust Him and rely on Him and the best news of all is the fact that He lives inside us.
This means that He can talk to us and show us what to do and what not to do and in relationship to this article, bring all things that He promised to pass.
The problem you most likely face is the clock! It is the time factor. We are limited by the constraints of time, but God is time-less. He does not see time as we see it. Everything with God is Now! He told Moses that He is the Great I Am.
What this means in practical terms for you is this. If you need healing, I Am, your great physician. If you need comfort or consolation, I Am your comforter. If you need food, shelter or clothing, I Am El Shaddai your provider.
If you are in covenant relationship with God, your part in the deal is to exercise your trust in Him and His word. If as I just said, He never changes, then His word never changes. All the promises of God are a resounding Yes and Amen (2 Corinthians 1:20), so your part is to trust what He has told you and this is where your faith and patience kicks in.
His word today is the same as His word yesterday and all the yesterdays before that.
If God has spoken something to you, then He will keep it. It is already a done deal.
He told Abraham in Genesis eleven when he was seventy years of age to move. He promised Abraham when he was 75, that he would be the father of a nation (Genesis 121-3) and when the man was 99 years of age... ninety-nine... again promised him those things. God's plan had not changed. Abram had goofed off! Ishmael was born because he bowed to the pressure of time and at least 13 years later, God again promised an heir by Sarah.
My goodness me, we want it like yesterday and get frustrated if it does not arrive today, but God counts the things that are not as though they Were! See Romans 4:17.
You may well say, That's Ok for Abraham or you Robert, but what about me? I'm coming to that!
Hebrews 6:13-20 says-
God made a promise to Abraham. Since he had no one greater on whom to base his oath, he based it on himself.
He said, "I will certainly bless you and give you many descendants."
So Abraham received what God promised because he waited patiently for it.
When people take oaths, they base their oaths on someone greater than themselves. Their oaths guarantee what they say and end all arguments.
God wouldn't change his plan. He wanted to make this perfectly clear to those who would receive his promise, so he took an oath.
God did this so that we would be encouraged. God cannot lie when he takes an oath or makes a promise. These two things can never be changed. Those of us who have taken refuge in him hold on to the confidence we have been given.
We have this confidence as a sure and strong anchor for our lives. This confidence goes into the {holy} place behind the curtain
where Jesus went before us on our behalf. He has become the chief priest forever in the way Melchizedek was a priest.
God is so serious about both making a promise and keeping it, He who is the unchanging one, swore an oath by Himself. This covenant oath has been ratified by our Great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ! You therefore have every right and all the confidence you will ever need to come boldly to God at any time, for any matter and receive an audience! That's enough to make anyone want to shout and jump for joy. It does me!
To clinch the deal, look at Hebrews 10:35-36.
Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward.
For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised.
These things show that exercising patience has nothing to do with suffering or enduring. The exercising of your faith requires the attribute of patience because patience is the activating ingredient or the catalyst that brings it all together. You can conduct a chemistry experiment by mixing certain chemicals together in a test tube and nothing will happen until another element is added. That element is called a catalyst and it is the one that triggers the reaction you want!
You may have a word or two that has given you hope. You may attend a meeting and the preacher prophesies something to you. You may watch a TV program on the God Channel or TBN when someone who does not know you exist seems to speak right at you in your living room. Those things are the differing chemicals in that test tube. The catalyst is your faith confession. The ingredient that produces the outcome is the element of patience. You may mix flour and milk with an egg and butter and mix it together. That is faith. Put it in a hot oven and than wait. That is patience. The outcome is your desired cake! Don't open the oven door to see if it is cooking or that sponge cake will fall as flat as a pancake. You ladies can affirm that statement.
A farmer prepares soil and plants seed in the ground because he has an expected outcome. I seriously doubt if he will come back tomorrow and dig the seed up to see if it is growing. He uses his faith and combined with the exercising of his patience, the nurturing of the promise by fertilizing, weeding and watering prepares for the reward in it season.
How do you receive your promise?
You cultivate it. You read about it in the word of God. You nurture and feed it. You speak it. You work on it.
Never let your feelings or anxieties, frustrations or emotions negate the promise.
Every one of us will receive a harvest of some sort, depending on the seed we plant and the way we treat it. As I have mentioned before, every seed has an appointed germination time. Every plant has a determined growing time and every plant has a prescribed harvest time.
The word of God is like the seed I mentioned and you Will, not might, receive a harvest.
Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside.) [He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God.] For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap. For he who sows to his own flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint. Galatians 6:7-9.
Did you notice the requirements? You will reap in due season, provided you don't quit.
Turn again to the core text at the beginning of this message and I will close with this statement.
Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience.
But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing. James 1:3-4.
That trial or test in itself will not produce a thing other than pain and suffering, loss or even death. God never sends us tests and temptations according to James 1:13, but we can learn in the process by acting on what God has said. James said that we must LET patience do her perfect work. There is action in this. We must work at it in the way an athlete works on his sport and trains for his events.
When you thoughts race and tell you that you are going to fail, you are the one who has to bring them under control (see 2 Corinthians 10:5). Jesus told us to Possess our souls in Luke 21:19. This is an Action thing! We've got to Do something. The Greek word is κτάομαι or Ktaomai. It means things like Get, Got, Gotten, Obtain, Obtaining, Possess, Possession, Provide, Providence, Provision and Purchase. They are not merely wishful thinking kinds of words, but getting out there and getting dirt under your fingernails words. You take possession by getting your life into balance and getting your priorities right. You are a spirit being with a soul and you live in a body. Your spirit is supposed to rule, not your soul, so take control of your soul and do not pamper to the flesh! This is how you get your answers. You are the one who has power of veto to the the devil's lies. You are the one to whom Jesus delegated authority. You are the one God has spoken words of hope to, so let them germinate and allow them to grow, for you will indeed reap... in due season, if you faint not. Putting it another way, You will reap in due season if you exercise and cultivate your patience.
If you have been blessed or encouraged in this, or other messages, write to us and tell us what God did for you.
Additional Resources
The following list contains some general scripture references relating to patience that you may care to study.
May God grant you your most fervent desires.
Matthew 24:13;
Luke 8:15; Luke 21:19; Acts 17:14;
Romans 2:7; Romans 8:24; Romans 12:12; 2 Corinthians 6:4; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 3:16;
Colossians 1:11; 2 Thessalonians 3:5;
1 Timothy 3:3; 2 Timothy 2:12; 2 Timothy 2:24; 2 Timothy 3:10; Hebrews 6:12; Hebrews 10:13; Hebrews 12:7; James 1:3, James 1:12; James 5:10;
1 Peter 2:20;
Revelation 3:10.
