Patience Pending – by Sheldon Bass
Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. Psalm 27:14 KJV
Waiting doesn’t seem to be very popular. The world conditions us to instant gratification. But God teaches us the blessed discipline of patience through delays. Perhaps having patience with others is even more difficult than waiting. Yet by constantly trusting God, He helps us to overcome that difficulty.
According to a traditional Hebrew story, Abraham was sitting outside his tent one evening when he saw an old man, weary from a long journey, coming toward him. Abraham rushed out, greeted him, and then invited him into his tent. There, he washed the old man's feet and gave him food and drink.
The visitor immediately began eating, without praying first. Abraham asked, "Don't you worship God?" The traveler replied, "I only worship fire—there’s no other god." Abraham became irate. He grabbed the old man by the shoulders, and threw him out of his tent and into the cold night air.
After the visitor departed, God called to his friend Abraham, and asked where the stranger was. Abraham replied, "I forced him out, because he did not worship you." God answered, "You mean, I’ve suffered him these eighty years, although he dishonors me, and you couldn’t endure him for just one night?”
“Love is patient, love is kind…” 1st Corinthians 13:4a
Thank you Lord for your perfect timing, and for teaching us patience. Help us to love as you have taught us, by being patient and kind with one another. And by waiting patiently on you.
God uses delays to build up our Christ-like character, and He will test our patience through people we least expect.
