Patience
Psalm 27:14 Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.
It takes bravery and courage to be patient. Whether it’s something small like trying to put a baby to sleep or big like waiting for results to see if you have cancer, you are overcoming a certain amount of fear. Fear that the baby won’t go to sleep, fear that the results will be bad.
Ultimately it all comes down to faith. Having faith in God and His plan. Having faith in the promises that God has made you.
Genesis 12:1-3 The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your land, your relatives, and your father’s home. Go to the land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation, I will bless you. I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you, I will curse. Through you every family on earth will be blessed.”
Abram, a 75-year-old, went to a land he has never been, with this promise from God. Knowing that his wife, Sarai, was unable to have children. He had faith and bravery.
Abram held strong in faith for a while, but despite God’s reminder and continued promises, waver and doubt crept in as time passed. Impatience set in followed by disbelief.
Genesis 15:1-5 Later the Lord spoke his word to Abram in a vision. He said, “Abram don’t be afraid I am your shield. Your reward will be very great.”
Abram asked, “Almighty Lord, what will you give me? Since I’m going to die without children, Eliezer of Damascus will inherit my household. You have given me no children, so this member of my household will be my heir.”
Suddenly, the Lord spoke his word to Abram again. He said, “This man will not be your heir. Your own son will be your heir.” He took Abram outside and said, “Now look up at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” He also said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!”
As time went on doubt and impatience continued to creep in. He was losing faith in God’s plan. Specifically in how God was going to fulfill his plan.
Psalm 37:7-9 Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for Him. Do not be preoccupied with an evildoer who succeeds in his way when he carries out schemes.
Sarai allowed herself to fall into the trap of taking matters into her own hands. She suggested that Abram take her slave to have a son, that through her slave she would give him a child. She followed the example of those around her and ignored God’s promise.
Ecclesiastes 7:8b It’s better to be patient than arrogant.
24 years after God made the promise and still no signs of progress, unless you considered the son of Sarai’s slave progress. They not only doubted, took matters into their own hands, but also started telling God what He should do and laughing at His plans.
Genesis 17:15-19,21 Don’t call your wife by the name Sarai anymore. Instead her name is Sarah [Princess]. I will bless her, and I will also give you a son by her. I will bless her and she will become a mother of nations, and kings will come from her.” Immediately, Abraham bowed with his face touching the ground. He laughed as he thought to himself, “Can a son be born to a hundred-year-old man? Can Sarah, a ninety-year-old woman, have a child?” Then Abraham said to God, “Why not let Ishmael be my heir?”
God replied, “No! Your wife Sarah will give you a son, and you will name him Isaac [He Laughs]. I will make an everlasting promise to him and his descendants…I will make my promise to Isaac. Sarah will give birth to him at this time next year.”
Genesis 18:10,12-15 The Lord said, “I promise I’ll come back to you next year at this time, and your wife Sarah will have a son.”
Sarah laughed to herself thinking, “Now that I’ve become old, will I enjoy myself again? What’s more, my husband is old!”
The Lord asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Can I really have a child now that I’m old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will come back to you next year at this time, and Sarah will have a son.”
Because she was afraid, Sarah denied that she had laughed.
But the Lord said, “Yes, you did laugh.”
What’s more important than all of the cowardice, impatience, and lack of faith is how God reacted to all of it. While Abram started to doubt, God came and reminded him of the promise and promised it to him again. He reminded him “I am here, with you. I am moving. All things are possible through me.” Even though Sarai took matters into her own hands, God called her princess and wanted to bless her with a child. His desire to do this didn’t change. He still loved her. She didn’t ruin His plan. When they laughed in God’s face and made suggestions of how God should do things, He got stern as with a child. He lovingly confronted their arrogance. He also followed through on His promise, not only of giving Abram a son through Sarai, but in giving Abram many descendants and creating a nation of believers.
Genesis 21:1-3 The Lord came to help Sarah and did for her what he had promised. So she became pregnant, and at the exact time God had promised, she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. Abraham names his newborn son Isaac.
This is our loving God. The one who made this promise to bless every family on earth. Who has grace and forgives us when we stumble. Who continuously loves us. This is our God whom we can have faith in and in that faith patience through the easiest and hardest of times.
It takes bravery and courage to be patient. Whether it’s something small like trying to put a baby to sleep or big like waiting for results to see if you have cancer, you are overcoming a certain amount of fear. Fear that the baby won’t go to sleep, fear that the results will be bad.
Ultimately it all comes down to faith. Having faith in God and His plan. Having faith in the promises that God has made you.
Genesis 12:1-3 The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your land, your relatives, and your father’s home. Go to the land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation, I will bless you. I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you, I will curse. Through you every family on earth will be blessed.”
Abram, a 75-year-old, went to a land he has never been, with this promise from God. Knowing that his wife, Sarai, was unable to have children. He had faith and bravery.
Abram held strong in faith for a while, but despite God’s reminder and continued promises, waver and doubt crept in as time passed. Impatience set in followed by disbelief.
Genesis 15:1-5 Later the Lord spoke his word to Abram in a vision. He said, “Abram don’t be afraid I am your shield. Your reward will be very great.”
Abram asked, “Almighty Lord, what will you give me? Since I’m going to die without children, Eliezer of Damascus will inherit my household. You have given me no children, so this member of my household will be my heir.”
Suddenly, the Lord spoke his word to Abram again. He said, “This man will not be your heir. Your own son will be your heir.” He took Abram outside and said, “Now look up at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” He also said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!”
As time went on doubt and impatience continued to creep in. He was losing faith in God’s plan. Specifically in how God was going to fulfill his plan.
Psalm 37:7-9 Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for Him. Do not be preoccupied with an evildoer who succeeds in his way when he carries out schemes.
Sarai allowed herself to fall into the trap of taking matters into her own hands. She suggested that Abram take her slave to have a son, that through her slave she would give him a child. She followed the example of those around her and ignored God’s promise.
Ecclesiastes 7:8b It’s better to be patient than arrogant.
24 years after God made the promise and still no signs of progress, unless you considered the son of Sarai’s slave progress. They not only doubted, took matters into their own hands, but also started telling God what He should do and laughing at His plans.
Genesis 17:15-19,21 Don’t call your wife by the name Sarai anymore. Instead her name is Sarah [Princess]. I will bless her, and I will also give you a son by her. I will bless her and she will become a mother of nations, and kings will come from her.” Immediately, Abraham bowed with his face touching the ground. He laughed as he thought to himself, “Can a son be born to a hundred-year-old man? Can Sarah, a ninety-year-old woman, have a child?” Then Abraham said to God, “Why not let Ishmael be my heir?”
God replied, “No! Your wife Sarah will give you a son, and you will name him Isaac [He Laughs]. I will make an everlasting promise to him and his descendants…I will make my promise to Isaac. Sarah will give birth to him at this time next year.”
Genesis 18:10,12-15 The Lord said, “I promise I’ll come back to you next year at this time, and your wife Sarah will have a son.”
Sarah laughed to herself thinking, “Now that I’ve become old, will I enjoy myself again? What’s more, my husband is old!”
The Lord asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Can I really have a child now that I’m old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will come back to you next year at this time, and Sarah will have a son.”
Because she was afraid, Sarah denied that she had laughed.
But the Lord said, “Yes, you did laugh.”
What’s more important than all of the cowardice, impatience, and lack of faith is how God reacted to all of it. While Abram started to doubt, God came and reminded him of the promise and promised it to him again. He reminded him “I am here, with you. I am moving. All things are possible through me.” Even though Sarai took matters into her own hands, God called her princess and wanted to bless her with a child. His desire to do this didn’t change. He still loved her. She didn’t ruin His plan. When they laughed in God’s face and made suggestions of how God should do things, He got stern as with a child. He lovingly confronted their arrogance. He also followed through on His promise, not only of giving Abram a son through Sarai, but in giving Abram many descendants and creating a nation of believers.
Genesis 21:1-3 The Lord came to help Sarah and did for her what he had promised. So she became pregnant, and at the exact time God had promised, she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. Abraham names his newborn son Isaac.
This is our loving God. The one who made this promise to bless every family on earth. Who has grace and forgives us when we stumble. Who continuously loves us. This is our God whom we can have faith in and in that faith patience through the easiest and hardest of times.
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