THE BEAUTY OF GOD'S PATIENCE [Part II] ~ PRECIOUS VICTOR AKAH

So we started our discussion on the Beauty of God's Patience last week, we're continuing this week. Like we saw in the story we read of the conversation God had with Abraham, God is a very patient God. This virtue of patience found in God should also be found in you as a child of a Patient God. Are you patient? Do you extend patience to people? Are you patient with your spouse and your children? Are you even patient with God Himself seeing how patient He is with us His people? 

Today, we're looking at the patience God showed to Gideon and what it teaches us His children. 

Let's read the conversation together:

Judges 6:11-23

[11]The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites.

[12]When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”

[13]“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

[14]The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

[15]“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

[16]The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”

[17]Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me.

[18]Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.” And the Lord said, “I will wait until you return.”

[19]Gideon went inside, prepared a young goat, and from an ephah of flour he made bread without yeast. Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot, he brought them out and offered them to him under the oak.

[20]The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so.

[21]Then the angel of the Lord touched the meat and the unleavened bread with the tip of the staff that was in his hand. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the Lord disappeared.

[22]When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!”

[23]But the Lord said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.”

Judges 6:33-40

[33]Now all the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel.

[34]Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him.

[35]He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them.

[36]Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised—

[37]look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.”

[38]And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water.

[39]Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.”

[40]That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.

God was patient with Gideon and gave him the several confirmations he asked for to be able to trust God to truly deliver Israel by his hand (Gideon's hand) out of the hand of their oppressor - the Midianites. The patience God extended to Gideon teaches us to be patient with people and never force nor pressurize people to trust us, but give them time and good reasons to trust us. We also do what they request us to do for them that will build trust as long as it is a good and godly request.

God's patience shown to Gideon in the story we read also teaches us to be patient with God Himself.

After an individual is born again (saved), he or she is expected to have and display the virtue of patience. We've seen how patient God is with His followers, it is expected of us to exercise the same patience with God. It is lack of patience that makes some born again Christians backslide few months or years after giving their lives to Christ. They refused to be patient with God. They believe that once they're born again, they should never experience challenges and trials again. They believe that now they're born again, they must enjoy all of God's blessings and promises immediately, without any form of 'delay'. So when they experience 'delay' of any form: delay in childbearing, delay in getting married, delay in getting a good job or promotion at work, delay in financial breakthrough, delay in getting school admission... they stop serving God and go back to their former life or seek ungodly alternatives to satisfy their desire. 

They also believe that whatever blessing or promise they find in Scripture and claim it, it should manifest INSTANTLY in their lives. When this does not happen instantaneously, they start questioning God and doubting the authenticity of His Word and promises. This ought not to be so. Scripture says, "That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises" (Hebrews 6:12). We are supposed to be patient with God. Our fathers in the faith like Abraham, obtained God's promises with faith and PATIENCE. We cannot obtain God's promises without patience. The promise of prosperity, abundance, fruitfulness, a life partner... becomes reality in your life with faith and patience. If you only have faith and lack patience, you'll not obtain the promise. You'll miss it when it finally comes because you would have either lost faith or gone to seek for an ungodly alternative to meet your need.

Imagine if Father Abraham lost faith in God after waiting many years to obtain the promise, he would have missed Isaac the promised child. The impatience displayed by his wife Sarah, brought Ishmael which was not God's will for them and they suffered for it. After that, they both decided to wait on God and with patience and faith, Isaac the promised child came.

All what I'm saying is that the same way God was patient with Gideon as he asked for confirmations to clear his doubts, that is the same way we must be patient with God to work out His plans in our lives and bring to pass His promises to us. After you're born again, embrace patience in your walk with God. When you pray, be patient for as long as you need to be to receive what you have prayed for. When you ask God for anything: child, life partner, job, promotion, deliverance, financial help, prosperity, career success, academic success...be patient to have what you asked for; don't look or impatiently opt for ungodly alternatives. God answers prayers, but not on your time, on His own time. 

Don't let the devil use impatience to rob you of your blessings. BE PATIENT WITH GOD.

Expect the final part of this series next week Monday. We'll study the conversation God had with Moses and the patience He showed Him. You'll enjoy it too. It is another beautiful God and man interaction in the Scripture. Be sure to come back next week Monday to read it.

Drop your comments and questions below if you have any and we (I and the Holy Spirit) will gladly respond. 

Read part one of this series

Stay blessed.