Patience and Perserverance

The Lord will refine my patience until the day I die. I have more patience than I had 10 years ago, but I am still far from patient. I want things on my schedule, done in the order I would do them, and have little tolerance for those who don't do it my way. I want people to respond in my time, and fail often to wait on the Lord. But God is gracious, kind and gentle. He hasn't given up on me and continues to teach me this valuable fruit of the spirit daily.

Several weeks ago, I was in the car with my 11 year old son. He had heard me talking with a friend of mine about a drug issue that her daughter was facing. He asked me what "pot" was. I saw this as a golden "teachable moment", and proceeded to tell him what pot was, and probably way more than he wanted to know about drugs. I told him that he would encounter a lot of temptation over the next few years as people his age began to make bad choices and experiment in lots of different things. As I was talking, I noticed he had a very serious face and was deep in thought. I asked him if he had anything on his mind. He said, "Yes." I asked him if he'd like to share it with me or talk to me about it. He said, "Well, I was just thinking...if I were a superhero, which superpower I would want to have. It's a very hard decision." I wanted to throw my hands up in the air. I felt like he hadn't heard a word I had said. My teachable moment had just flown out the window.

Last weekend, we took our youth on choir tour. For Sunday church, they sang between two basketball games. That may sound odd to you, but a Christian coach had a vision and followed it. He was going to church, but couldn't get his boys on his team there because of Sunday basketball games. In the midst of his discouragement, God told him, "Why don't you bring church to the basketball court?" He answered God faithfully, and did. Between tournaments, they have a church service in the lunch room where the boys come to get their snacks. We led in worship, and then sat down to hear the preacher. The preacher preached, and I thought, "Nobody is listening...this is futile." But at the invitation, two of those boys accepted Christ. The man served faithfully, and God penetrated hearts!

Isaiah 55:11 says, "So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it."

There are times when we may feel like our words or our testimonies are falling on deaf ears, but I assure you they are not. Back to my son's story, the next time he needs to ask about drugs or has a concern about another issue, he knows that he can come and talk to me. He heard me. I was just too impatient to appreciate his innocence and God's timing. As I've reflected on that, it reminded me to be thankful for that innocent, "little boy" perspective that he still has. This preacher preached his heart out--truth about salvation in God--and two boys gave their lives to Christ. He was patient in his delivery and perservered in his passion for winning those boys to Christ. God was faithful, and answered boldly!

With perserverance and patience, we must keep seeking out God's Word. And then, with patience and perserverence, we must keep proclaiming it. As promised in Isaiah, it will not come back void!

You said, "Ask and you will receive whatever you need." You said, "Pray and I'll hear from heaven, and I'll heal your land." You said Your glory will fill the earth like water the sea. You said, "Lift up your eyes; the harvest is here, the kingdom is near." You said, "Ask and I'll give the nations to You". O God, it's the cry of my heart. Distant shores and the islands will see Your light as it rises on us. O Lord, we ask for the nations. (worship song by Reuben Morgan)