WEEK 4 | PATIENCE
When You Want to Give Up
Take a few minutes today to read through the following scripture, short message, and reflect on the takeaway below.
7 Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. 8 You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.
8 But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 9 The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.
James 5:7-8 (NLT) & 2 Peter 3:8-9 (NLT)
Patience is more than a resignation to the passing of time, it’s an expectant waiting upon the goodness of God. It does us no good to wait anxiously for what has been promised because we are not in control of whether or not it comes. Instead, like a farmer waiting for the rain to water his crops, we can wait patiently- trusting God’s goodness with full assurance that he is faithful to fulfill his promises. To truly be patient we must acknowledge that we are not in control, trust in God’s timing, and believe that his plans are good. Be encouraged brothers and sisters, we’ll not need to be patient forever for the coming of the Lord is near.
Takeaway Question
Which is harder for you - giving up control, trusting God’s timing, or believing his plans are good? Each time the evening rains come, use it as a reminder to wait patiently on the Lord and ask the Holy Spirit for help with that thing.