Wait Patiently and Confidently – Part 1

Waiting sometimes can be a very uncomfortable experience; and especially when you have to wait for any length of time. Listen to this quote, “Patience is a bitter plant that produces sweet fruit.” Chuck Swindoll. As you might be aware or not, anything worthwhile is worth waiting for. I enjoy steak quite a bit especially when I go the United States, and when they ask, how do you want your steak sir? I say to them well done. Consequently, the response from the waiter would be, because you want your steak well done, it will take some time for it to be ready, and I say okay. Inadvertently, what I have communicated to the waiter is; I am willing to be patient for my steak to be properly cooked and confident in the Chef’s ability to produce one of the best ever steak. To build a house, the foundation must be dug deep enough and properly, and this requires waiting patiently for the concrete to become rock solid before progressing to the next phase of construction.

To better understand our text, let us define some key terms. The word Patient means to persevere, endure, sustain, bear up under, to stand firm. It could also refer to one’s response toward circumstances, denoting perseverance in the face of difficulties. And the word Confident means to be of good cheer, have courage, be full of hope. Recall the Bible says, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” Read Psalm 37:7 (NIV). Here we see our waiting patiently ought to be centred on the Lord, and when we truly grasp this truth, our confidence will yield righteous fruit. Look at another brilliant verse of scripture, our God says, “Calm down and learn that I am God! All nations on earth will honour me.” Read Psalm 46:10 (CEV). Listen to this thought, when we trust and patiently wait on the Lord, then what comes next is giving glory and honour to our God for what His grace has made available, which we embrace by faith.

Let us look at our base text “That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.” Read Romans 8:25 (MSG). Think with me for a moment, a lady with a child does not suddenly have a swollen stomach, she has to patiently wait month by month with the utmost confidence that comes the 9th month, she will deliver. So with any mother, patiently waiting and having confidence in the delivery process creates a sense of expectation and trust in God that the delivery doctor and team would help her bring forth. Let us look at another scenario where a farmer sows a seed in the ground, he or she waits patiently with an expectation and confidence that the seed would yield its fruit.

Watch this beloved, patience is a virtue and most importantly a fruit of the Spirit according to Galatians 5:22 (NIV). Now we know fruits are cultivated, therefore, patience must be cultivated in our lives for us to be able to benefit from the fruit of the Spirit – patience. So how do we cultivate this fruit? Well, for cultivation to occur, the fruit must be given attention, nurtured, watered and pruned at different stages of its growth, and I am sure you will agree, this process is not pretty and can be tedious. My Bible says, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Read 2 Peter 3:9 (KJV). Here we can see that almighty God is extremely patient, and He continues to be. Can you imagine His patience with the children of Israel, when they kept on doubting Him and pushing the boundaries? Oh, by the way, we push the boundaries as well, but the Lord is longsuffering towards us, hence people all over the world today are responding to the Good News of Salvation. This alone is enough for us to give God praise for His loving kindness, grace and mercy, Hallelujah, Glory to God.

I am so thankful to God for His patience, enduring love and grace which He constantly extends to me and my household. I am truly the righteousness of God in Christ, and like Paul writes in Romans, “I am fully convinced, my dear brothers and sisters, that you are full of goodness. You know these things so well you can teach each other all about them.” Read Romans 15:14 (NLT).

As is our custom, I encourage you to meditate on these things and allow the Holy Spirit permeate your heart, mind and soul with this truth; that God affectionately cares for you, and is indeed patiently waiting for you to respond to His call. And because of His love for you, He is saying through the Holy Spirit in you to arise, for this is your day of visitation.

We write. You read. Be encouraged.