According to the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary, patience is defined as “the act or quality of waiting long for expected good without discontent”. Other definitions include “endurance without complaining”.

It was the year 2007 when I rededicated my life back to the Lord after going through a heart breaking experience. In the midst of my brokenness, I began seeking the Lord for divine healing and for peace of mind. In addition to those prayers, I also began praying fervently for the Lord to bring me a godly husband, however, my prayer was centered on the husband whom I desired versus the one the Lord may have for me. My prayer life was consumed with this prayer as I was lonely, depressed and lacking true contentment. I spent three years praying, fasting and journaling the qualities that I desired in a mate (while not consulting God). Due to my immaturity and my lack of trust in Him, I tried to twist the Lord’s arm and use situations to get what I wanted which came to no avail. After all that, I finally came to a place where I had to fully surrender this area of my life to God and trust that if He desires to give me a husband, He will give me the person He wants me to have in His own time. And if He chooses not to give me a mate, He will give me His grace to accept His ultimate plan for my life. The Lord showed me that my identity should always be in Him and not in having a marriage partner. He graciously gave me Deuteronomy 6:5 during that season which says, “You should love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength”. My love for the Lord  should far exceed the love for a man or anything for that matter. Idol worship is unacceptable in the Lord’s eyes. During that season, the Lord also taught me the importance of being patient. As I’ve laid down my wants, and embraced God’s purpose while waiting expectantly on Him, I’m learning and experiencing the true value of patience. As I yield to Him, He’s giving me His grace to wait on His timing and not my own knowing He will always give me His very best.

James 1:17 says Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

The Bible admonishes believers to wait on the Lord and their hearts will be strengthened by Him as they do. Psalm 27:14 exhorts us to wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen our hearts, wait I say, on the Lord. His desire is for us to exercise patience while waiting on Him for our specific situations. 

Think about the story of Abraham and Sarah. The Lord had promised them a son, and during their 25-year waiting period, it seemed as though the promise of a child was farfetched. But the Lord was doing a great work in the life of this couple. He was preparing them, stretching their faith, and getting them ready for the promised son. The Lord is doing the same in our lives too. He’s molding us, preparing us, refining our characters, deepening our trust in Him, and getting us ready for our future blessings. But He wants us to be patient, to rest fully in Him, and to trust His timing. Never run or walk ahead of the Lord in any given situation. When you do, you will only make things worse for yourself and create unnecessary problems and bring on heartache. There is nothing we can do in our own strength to bring about the promises of God. Instead, let Him have His way and He will bring forth the blessings in due season.

Learning patience is hard, but we serve a faithful God Who will give us His strength to be the men and women who will exercise patience in our everyday lives. 

Whatever you are waiting on, my prayer is that you will leave it at the feet of Jesus, wait patiently on the Lord, and believe His plans for your life and my life are for good and not for evil to give us a future and a hope. 

Psalm 84:11b No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

Psalm 37:7a Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. 

Psalm 40:1 I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. 

Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.