Wait on the Lord

Patience is a virtue that few of us have. We live in a busy world and rush through life, trying to get ahead. Even on our roads and highways, everyone seems to be in a hurry to get to their destinations. This has often resulted in vehicle accidents.

I have a magnet on my refrigerator door that says, “Give me patience, Lord, but hurry.” I get impatient waiting for others because I like being on time. I don’t like it when I am cruising on the road and other drivers cut me off. I always say that if you are rushing or driving too fast, then you simply didn’t wake up on time!

 In the Bible, Abraham and his wife are prime examples of impatience. God told Abraham that Sarah was going to bear him a son. Instead of being thrilled at this news, Sarah thought she was too old to bear children. So instead of waiting on the Lord and claiming His promise that Abraham was going to be the father of many nations, they took matters into their own hands. Sarah offered her maidservant as a surrogate mother in order to provide her husband with a son. They didn’t have the patience to wait for God’s spoken word to come true. The decision that they made so long time ago has brought a lot of discord into our world today.

 On the other hand, we read about the story of Hannah, who was childless and desperately wanted a son. She fervently prayed and waited patiently for the Lord to grant her request. Eventually, she conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel. When the boy was old enough, Hannah took him to the temple as she had promised God she would. She gave little Samuel to the Lord to serve Him. He eventually became a great prophet in Israel. Hannah had learned, through waiting on God, that He answers prayers according to His purposes. Only He could make her life complete.

 I pray for patience every day. I have learned that God answers prayers in different ways, and I just have to wait on Him. He is never late; He answers our prayers at the right time and in the right place. I need to put my trust in Him and give Him full control of my life.

Rhona Grace Magpayo