Ponder This: How does patience contribute to our understanding of faith and trust in God?
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Scriptures To Consider: Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore He exalts Himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him. -Isaiah 30:18
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Reflections From The PrayerBowl Team:
Patience is critical in our understanding of faith and trust in God. As believers, we are called to practice patience as we surrender our lives and say God's will be done. In Isaiah 30:18, we are told that God blesses those who wait for Him. On one side of the coin, when we are patient, good fruit can bloom, and bigger and better things come as a result of waiting on God's timing. But, on the other side, we might face a test, storm, or challenge. Romans 12:12 calls us to be patient in tribulation. Those with deep faith, who use the spiritual discipline of patience, anchor to God, knowing He is a promise-keeper and His timing is perfect. When we practice patience, we begin to trust not only what God can do but also who He is.
I believe there is human patience, and there is Spiritual patience. Human patience can be lived through one's own will and strength. That will and strength may be masked or fake. Spiritual patience is guided by His Spirit. We know that followers of Jesus are flawed, but they live with patience through the power of God, the Creator of all things. This is not something that can be faked. Knowing and believing that He is with you heightens your faith and trust. Praying to Him calms, encourages, and allows you to accept that He is leading the charge.
Luke 8:15 ESV - As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
I answered this question with a brief personal story of my own. I often listen to a popular Catholic radio show on my way to work. One morning, the host presented a question about signs from our loved ones in Heaven. A caller shared that after her father passed away, she would see a red cardinal and take it as a sign from Heaven. Recently, her mom also passed, and she began to wrestle with the question of whether her parents were finally reunited. She shared that for the first time ever, she saw both a male and female cardinal together, and it brought her to tears. I felt so deeply for this caller because it brought such resonance to my own life. I had lost my dad a few months ago, who had missed my mom terribly since her passing years ago. In these months, I found myself struggling and hoping for the same: Are my parents together again? Cardinals, while meaningful to many, have never held special significance to me. I spent a lot of time asking God to help me with this– what type of sign will I receive, and how much longer will I have to wait?The very next day, at work, PrayerBowls. I began to process the first order of the day; I couldn’t believe my eyes: the recipient’s name was John – (my father’s name). The street address was Lorraine (my mother’s name) Ave. What a smile this brought to me. I knew then I was supposed to be listening at that exact moment, the day before. And God knew before me (of course) that he was going to answer my restless question.
