Be Patient

Saturday 18 March
READ: Heb. 10: 36-39
MORE LESSON: Luke 8: 15

Patience is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5: 22). It is one powerful virtue that is often overlooked. We talk so much about faith, love, peace and so on but we forget the power of patience. Heb 6: 12 says, ...be followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. This shows that the celebrated heroes of faith were patient people. God is love (1 John 4: 8) and love is patient (1 Cor. 13: 4 NIV); so God is a God of patience. As God's children we must be people of patience.
We need to exalt the virtue of patience now than ever in this age, where everyone is on the fast track. People want everything and they want it now. We want fast food, fast money, fast mail, fast banking, fast lane; the faster the better. Even in the Church of God, people don't believe in waiting anymore. They feel if it does not come 'sharp-sharp' then it means you don't have faith. If the pastor prays for them and the thing doesn't happen instantly, they say that the pastor is not anointed; they start looking around for a more anointed man so that the miracle can happen right away. This is what makes many to become victims of false prophets. Why not wait on God? Waiting is the proof of faith. Patience is the real test of faith. Those that believe do not make haste (Isa. 28: 16).
1 Cor. 13:13 talks about three things you must have to be a successful Christian. They are faith, hope and love (charity). All these three work out in patience. Faith is having patience with God. Faith is when you are trusting God for something and the thing is not forthcoming but you stay patiently, knowing that God will do it. Faith is patience.
Hope is patience with people and situations; it is not giving up on people because you know that good can still come out of them. Hope is not throwing in the towel because you know good can still come out of that situation. Hope entails patiently waiting for your change to come.
Love is patience with yourself. Many people are not patient with themselves; they put so much pressure on themselves. They penalise themselves and are mean to themselves. Why not relax and love yourself. It is only when you love yourself that the love can flow to others. Don't give yourself ulcer out of starvation because you say you are too fat and you are not beautiful. Love yourself.
In Luke 8: 15, the good seed fell on the good soil but it still needed patience to be fruitful. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the Word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. You will get there; be patient.

Prayer/Action
* Father, help me to add to my faith the virtue of patience, in Jesus’ name.
* In the name of Jesus, I receive grace to patiently wait for God's promises for my life.

TODAY'S PROPHETIC PRAYER
Wherever I need help today, in the name of Jesus, I shall not be turned back.