Confidently Waiting with Faith and Patience
Waiting and trusting God to act on our behalf as we stand for the restoration of our marriages continues to be the topic of quite a bit of discussion on the private websites, so I wanted to share two Heart To Heart messages posted on the private sites yesterday, because I’m sure they will bless and encourage anyone standing for marriage restoration, especially those who are really struggling. Here’s the message Dan posted yesterday, which I know will be a great blessing and very encouraging!
I always get fired up when I read a new book, and I just finished reading Rick Warren’s book, God’s Power to Change Your Life. And I would highly recommend reading it if you get a chance. It’s about the “fruits of the spirit” and I want to share what he has to say concerning patience, which he connects to our faith. I found it very powerful, especially in terms of our faith in God and believing that He is working to restore our marriages. (All the scripture references are listed at the end.)
He begins by saying that a lack of peace causes impatience. When we have peace in our heart, almost nothing can make us impatient. But, on the other hand, when we don’t have peace, almost anything can make us impatient. Rick uses Proverbs 20:24 to make the point that we may experience some divine delays and some heavenly interruptions! And I love that description…they’re not setbacks, not obstacles, not problems, but divine delays and heavenly interruptions. That statement tells us God always has everything under control; he is not burdened or hindered by our human frailties and obstacles.
He continues by sharing that throughout the Bible, God equates patience with maturity. Proverbs 14:29 says maturity involves the ability to wait, to live with delayed gratification. A person of understanding and wisdom, who sees life from God’s point of view, can be patient. I know when I am in the Word, whether it is hearing it, reading it, praying it, or sharing it in writing I am at peace. It is during these times I find I am most patient with my circumstances, because that’s when I’m confident that God has orchestrated everything to happen according to His perfect plan.
Warren describes four areas in which we can become patient and enjoy the peace God intends for us. The areas are developing a new perspective, acquiring a sense of humor, deepening our love, and depending on the Lord.
In developing a new perspective, the first area, he suggests that we find a new way of looking at the situation or the person that is causing the problem. The root of impatience is selfishness. So learn to see things from other people’s point of view; look at a situation from the other person’s perspective and discover why that person feels as he or she does. (Proverbs 19:11)
The second area is acquiring a sense of humor. So learn to laugh at your circumstances; somehow find the fun in the frustrating. Humor is a tension dissolver, an antidote to anxiety, a tranquilizer without any troublesome side effects, and a life shock absorber. So learn to laugh; it can preserve your sanity. (Proverbs17: 22)
Thirdly, deepen your love. (1 Corinthians 13:4) When we are impatient, we are being unloving. When we love someone, we care about their needs, desires, hurts, and point of view, and not just our own. And when we are filled with love, almost nothing can provoke us to anger or cause us to be impatient. When we are under pressure, whatever is inside is going to come out. And if we praise God for people or circumstances that irritate us or bother us, we become so much more like Jesus that they won’t bother us anymore. Maybe the devil is even using a person or situation to get at us, but he will stop doing that when the situation motivates us to praise God. If we learn to praise God in every situation, we will develop a wall of praise around our life that even the devil cannot penetrate. So deepen your love. (Ephesians 4:2)
Finally, he shares that patience is not merely a matter of human willpower; it is the fruit of the spirit. Patience is not will power; it is not wearing a mask and pretending. So if it is God’s patience we feel, if it is the genuine fruit of the spirit, we will have genuine peace, and certain situations won’t bother us the way they used to, because we are depending on the Lord.
Warren concludes by saying that patience is a form of faith that says “I trust God. I believe that God is bigger than the problem and I believe that God has His hand in these irritations and can use them in my life for good.” Faith helps us say, “God, what do You want me to learn in this situation?” Because of faith we no longer need to ask God why, but instead, what do you want me to learn. Waiting demonstrates faith, and faith pleases God.
Warren also said that it is hard when we are in a hurry and God isn’t. It is hard waiting for an answer to prayer; waiting for a miracle to happen; waiting for God to change our wife or husband.
So as we wait for God to restore our marriages, which may seem sick, dying, dead, and maybe even over because of a “legal” divorce, we must be mindful of the faith and patience of Noah, Moses, Abraham, Elijah and many others who did wait upon the Lord. And we especially need to remember Lazarus! From all appearances, Jesus arrives too late to save him. He had been dead for several days, prepared, and sealed in a tomb. One’s life can’t get much more over than that! Yet Jesus knew it was not too late. He simply told Lazarus to get up.
John 11:30-43 (NLT)
30 Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him.
31 When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus’s grave to weep. So they followed her there.
32 When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33 When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled.
34 “Where have you put him?” he asked them.
They told him, “Lord, come and see.”
35 Then Jesus wept.
36 The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!”
37 But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?”
38 Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance.
39 “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them.
But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.”
40 Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?”
41 So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me.
42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.”
43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!”
God is never too late; His timing is perfect. He may not move according to our schedule (He usually doesn’t), but He is always on time. He wants us to trust Him and wait on Him. Psalm 37:7 (NLT) says Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.
Father, I pray that You will help us to be patient as we wait on Your promises and help us to receive the fruits of the spirits – all of them- not just patience. God, we want to be like Jesus; help us to have the knowledge and understanding of Your Word so we can use the wisdom You provide as we deepen our love for You and our dependence on You, and surrender every area of our lives to You. In Your Son’s Holy Name, Amen.
Scripture References:
Proverbs 20:24 (NLT)
The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?
Proverbs 14:29 (NLT)
People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.
Proverbs 19:11 (NLT)
Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.
Proverbs 17:22 (NLT)
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.
1 Corinthians 13:4 (NLT)
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud
Ephesians 4:2 (NLT)
Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.
And I really loved the following message from the Spirit of Prophecy website, which was shared on the ladies’ private site yesterday. Tammy said she was very encouraged by the message, and it’s easy to see why! What awesome instruction, wisdom and encouragement it provides, so be blessed and encouraged!
“July 18, 2007 Bill Yount – Spirit of Prophecy
CAUTION: “HEAVEN AND HELL ARE BEING ACTIVATED THIS HOUR BY CERTAIN WORDS BEING SPOKEN ON THE EARTH …BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU THINK AND SAY!” (Daniel 10:12) GABRIEL IS STILL ON CALL! Daniel 10:12 “Then said the angel Gabriel unto me, Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that thou did set thine heart to understand and to chasten thyself before thy God, your ‘words’ were heard and I am come for your ‘words’. YOUR MOUNTAIN WAS PROBABLY MADE OUT OF A MOLEHILL! In a vision I saw a range of gigantic ‘rocky mountains looming tall before God’s people. Our words of fear and doubtful thoughts had caused some of these mountains to grow out of molehills. Hell was pushing them upward against us through even our thoughts that had formed our negative words. These mountains towering before us now represented impossible situations and insurmountable circumstances that we, the Body of Christ had come up against in our walk with the Lord. These mountains stood unmovable in our path as though defying us to go any further. Many in the Body of Christ were standing on the word of God, believing and speaking to the mountains to be removed, persevering for a season until their lack of patience convinced them to lose hope and give up. These mountains seemed to remain steadfast and unchangeable; indifferent to our faith in God’s word to these impossibilities and believing for a miracle. Then as though through a telescopic vision I saw in the Spirit a close up view of these mountains. In the Spirit I saw hair-line cracks coming upon these huge mountains. I then heard the voice of the Lord speak as these cracks appeared…”IS NOT MY WORD LIKE A HAMMER THAT BREAKS THE ROCK IN PIECES?” (Jeremiah 23:29) A remnant of the Body of Christ standing on the word of God, speaking it to these mountains, persevered in their faith and patience though they saw nothing change in the natural. But each time they spoke with authority of God’s word, I saw a spiritual hammer striking each mountain that was spoken to. Following the cracks, I began to see a small piece of rock falling here and there from off of these mountains… perhaps still not visible to the naked eye of the believer below. Line upon line the cracks increased…here a little, there a little….while small pieces of broken off rock were falling. Slowly but surely these mountains were weakening as this hammer gained momentum, pounding these mountains of solid rock relentlessly as though God’s vengeance was in each fatal blow! God’s voice then spoke so loud and clear, shaking the very foundation of these mountains…”IF YOU CAN BREAK A ROCK IN PIECES, YOU CAN MOVE A MOUNTAIN! THESE MOUNTAINS SHALL BE REMOVED BY MY SPIRIT” says the Lord and “IT IS MY ‘WORDS’ THAT ARE SPIRIT AND LIFE!”KEEP MY WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH AND TELL YOUR MOUNTAIN WHERE TO GO!”