Patience #1—“Post-its” For Patience

Waiting weighs on our weary souls. We must wait because much of life is out of our control. Realizing this makes us nervous. Often we try to take matters into our own hands, reacting excitedly when we hear “Hey, I know a shortcut!” When it comes to God’s promises to engage himself for our good, there are no shortcuts. We must wait. We can wait with irritated, anxious hearts; or we can wait patiently, that is with peaceful, resolute, confident hearts. Considering the following assurances will help us fine tune our faith for those times when we are feeling frustrated by God’s “not yet.”

Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal, and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay. Habakkuk 2:2–3

Sometimes God assures us of his solution to our problems long before he actually accomplishes it. When we go back to him wondering why he has not brought us relief yet, he patiently explains that his timing is perfect. So we would be wise to be patient enough to keep following his direction in our lives, while we wait for him to fulfill his promises. Habakkuk learned this while he waited for the Lord to deliver Israel from the Assyrians. Even when Yahweh fulfilled his promise, he did it in a spectacularly surprising way. Later we read that “at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” Another surprise, but an encouraging one! God’s response to our impatience is a patient reminder that he has the situation well in hand. He exhibits his understanding of our emotional frailty by telling us to keep the promises where we can see them. For he knows that in order to keep our faith strong, we need frequent reminding. God’s word to Habakkuk is a promise that will keep us trusting God’s promises.

Father, you know me so well. Thank you for showing me how to keep going as I wait patiently for you to bring about the good you have promised and guaranteed through Jesus. Amen.