Read Psalm 37
Meditate
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Psalm 37:7 (ESV)
This Sunday I will be preaching on the topic of the fruit of the Spirit, in particular the fruit of patience. Patience requires waiting. It involves a delay often in our timetable. Godly patience is an acknowledgement of God's sovereign timetable that supersedes our agendas and schedules. We wait on him. As Christ-followers we are given the fruit of patience through the Spirit. We are no longer to be driven by our worries, fears, or anger, which are all works of the flesh.
Patience involves trust (Ps. 37:3, 5). As we see in this passage there is a great deal of trust that the believer is asked to give to God. He or she must trust that God is good and will reward the righteous and punish the wicked (Ps. 37:27-29). This is not something that is in our control, but it is in the hands of God. God alone is the judge. We are to wait on him patiently trusting in his goodness and deliverance from evil. Patience is the fruit that allows us to sit quietly before the living God and commune with him as we await his action in our lives and in the world.
Patience takes endurance. We must endure trials and great difficulties as we wait on God for his vindication. God's Holy Spirit gives us grace to endure trials patiently for our sanctification and for God's glory.
A Parable: There was a shepherd who was leading some sheep. One sheep was constantly running ahead of the flock. The shepherd kept calling the sheep to come back and to patiently walk with the rest of the flock. But the sheep was determined to go his own pace. The other sheep were too slow. As the one impatient sheep went out ahead, he realized that suddenly he was not with the flock anymore. The sheep looked around and realized that he had taken a wrong turn and that he was no longer with the shepherd. The sheep became afraid and began to call out to the shepherd. "Help me!" he cried. The shepherd came to the sheep, picked him up, put him on his shoulders and carried him back to the flock. The sheep was impatient with the flock and then in his haste got lost. Does this ever happen to you? To wait upon the shepherd in patience is to walk with the shepherd, not in front of him and the flock. It means we keep in step with the shepherd and know his presence constantly trusting in his timing, his guidance, and his instruction. When we are patient with the Lord, we know his presence comforting us, reassuring us, and helping us.
Pray
O Lord, my Shepherd, help me to walk daily with you in patience, not ahead of you in haste, nor behind you in fear. Enable me to keep in step with the Spirit of God and to trust your work in my life and in the world. Thank you for the fruit of patience that you have given me. Let me bear this fruit as I trustingly wait upon you. In Christ's Name, Amen.
Consider
Faith and patience are exceptional virtues in those that suffer. Patience is the fruit and evidence of faith. John Calvin
We shall not grow weary in waiting upon God if we remember how long and how graciously He once waited for us. Charles Spurgeon
Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them–every day begin the task anew. Francis de Sales