Patience is an impassioned pursuit. It is the persistence of the weary runner. One step in front of another, step after step, mile after mile, training day after day, in dark and in light. This is what the rain or shine pursuit of a dream is like. This is the gritty, dirty, back story of attainment. This is not race day, only preparation for the pursuit.
Patience is David being promised a kingdom and getting almost two decades of delay, then when it begins to materialize receiving only a part of the promise. Patience was keeping his attitude right with his boss attempting to kill him. Patience is believing that God sees what is happening and will make it right. Patience believes God’s promise, not the delay or rejection, as the truth. (Imagine keeping a respectful attitude toward someone like Saul! Imagine finding it safer to hide in Goliath’s hometown than your own. I would think that someone there would still be looking for revenge!)
Delay is the training ground of patience; especially the delay that does not make sense. You keep thinking, “This should work! Surely this time will be different,” but it turns out to be another false start, just more time in waiting. You just can’t seem to put the thing in gear. You can’t make the pieces that should fit, go together. It is the unreasonableness and the irrationality of these situations that try our patience, that cause some to stumble in their pursuit.
Remember that you have an enemy that doesn’t want you to get the job or that promotion. He does not want you to start the ministry or find your mate. Delay, delay, delay . . .
Patience is pushing through the rejection and setbacks. It is coming out round after round and taking the hard hits that life throws at you and not backing down. It is mustering the strength not to give in to the abuse and manipulation that taunts you to give in, to take shortcuts, to compromise. Rocky put it this way, “. . . it ain’t about how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. . It’s how much you can take, and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done…But you gotta be willing to take the hits, and not point fingers and blame other people.”
I know the race is hard at times; those who could help, who should understand are sometimes the very obstacles that must be overcome. I know the mind numbing existence that can try your soul day in, day out. The promise is sometimes obscured by the fog of delay. I know the sting of rejection and hurtful words; words that you cannot forget – and that you dare not forget. These become the fire that steams the relentless pursuit that patience is.
Patience is learning to keep the principles of God above the opportunity to succeed on man’s terms. If God can’t get you there, you don’t need to go there! Certainly there are delays that our attitude or disobedience causes. But even then, they are delays that the enemy has utilized.
Patience is Noah building an ark, not just for the saving of his family but yours.
Persistence, pursuit, principle that go against the grain are the kinds of things that actually seem to destroy the very stuff from which the fulfillment of the promise is made. These are actually the indispensible elements that hold you once attainment comes.
Patience is holding the promises of God in an open hand and not wincing when He takes the one you deem most precious, the one you were most sure about. Patience lets the manifestation rest in His hand. Patience let’s God have His perfect work. There is a principle involved in patience that is greater than the fulfillment of a promise. This principle has at stake the very integrity of God. Not every promise has its fulfillment aimed at blessing you!
Hebrews 11:13 ESV These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
We don’t always understand the value of the promise that remains in the realm of hope. Sometimes we only get to see our promises “afar off.” We carried them but they were not for us. I don’t have answers for when that happens. I only know that God is a God of justice and equity and that sometimes life, and faith, isn’t just about us. Sometimes we get to use our faith in order to pass the baton to another generation of runners who we hope will see the results that we desired. When this no longer disappoints you patience has had her perfect work.
