“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him” (Psalms 37:7).
Have you prayed and prayed and waited and waited, and still there is no manifestation? Are you still waiting for God? Are you tired of seeing nothing move? Are you just at the point of giving it all up?
Perhaps we have not waited in the right way? This would take us out of the right place. The place where Jesus can meet you personally.
“With patience wait” (Rom 8:25).
Did you know there are many benefits to “waiting?” “Patience” has many rewards?
Patience takes away worry. Jesus said He would come, and His promise is equal to His presence. Patience takes away our weeping. Why feel sad and despondent? Jesus knows your need better than you do, and His purpose in waiting is to bring more glory out of it all. Patience takes away self-works. The work He desires is that you “believe” (John 6:29), and when you believe, you may then know that all is well. Patience takes away all want. Your desire for the thing you wish is perhaps stronger than your desire for the will of God to be fulfilled in its arrival.
Patience takes away all weakening. Instead of having the delaying time, a time of letting go, know that God is getting a larger supply ready and must get us ready too. Patience takes away all our wobbling.
“Make me stand upon my standing” (Dan 8:18, margin).
In some of Daniel’s testimony as to what happened to him here in vision, he tells us what the angel did after he lost his natural strength:
“He strengthened me.” Dan 10:18.
“I was strengthened.” Dan 10:19.
“Thou has strengthened me.” Dan 10:19.
“Be strong, yea, be strong.” Dan 10:19.
There are, herein, three urgent requirements for us all:
(1) Wisdom to act and speak wisely in the hour of trial
(2) faith that refuses to respond to the surging billows of doubt
(3) humility and contentment with God’s dealings
In making His servants the prophets fit channels for the transmission of the divine message, God deprives them of everything that might indicate human strength and power; then He Himself empowers them with His own strength, and so the more effectively can He use them as He desires. This would be one of may examples of patience and her “perfect work.”
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.(James 1:4)
We can’t really know the depth of our character until we see how we react under pressure. It is easy to be kind to others when everything is going well, but can we still be kind when others are treating us unfairly? God wants to make us mature and complete, not to keep us from all pain. Instead of complaining about our struggles, we should see them as opportunities for growth. Thank God for promising to be with you in rough times. Ask him to help you solve your problems or to give you the strength to endure them. Then be patient. God will not leave you alone with your problems; Jesus will stay close and help you grow. (2 Pet 3:18,Heb 13:5)
God’s foundations are steadfast and when His patience is within, we are steadfast while we wait. Patience gives worship. Patience with praise is often “long-suffering with joyfulness” (Col 1:11) is the best part of it all.
“…from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; (Col 1:9-11)
How complete this prayer is! There is no limit to the blessings that it is our privilege to receive. We may be “filled with the knowledge of his will.” God’s Holy Educating Spirit would never have inspired Paul to offer this prayer in behalf of his brethren, if it had not been possible for them to receive an answer from God in accordance with the request. Since this is so, we can know that God’s will is manifested to His people whenever they need a clearer understanding of His will.
“Let (all these phases of) patience have her perfect work” (James 1:4) while you wait, and you will find great blessings that you can share with others. (Rev 12:11, 1 John 1:1-3)
Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the person who carries out evil devices! (Psalms 37:4-7)
To delight in someone means to experience great pleasure and joy in his or her presence. This happens only when we know that person well. Thus, to delight in the Lord, we must know him better. Knowledge of God’s great love for us will indeed give us delight. To commit ourselves to the Lord means entrusting everything—our lives, families, jobs, possessions—to his control and guidance. To commit ourselves to the Lord means to trust in him (Psalms 37:5), believing that he can care for us better than we can ourselves. We should be willing to wait patiently (Psalms 37:7) for him to work out what is best for us.