“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,” Galatians 5:22 NLT
Immediately upon waking up, I clearly heard it... rain, and lots of it, hitting our metal roof. And while normally that sound wouldn’t deter me from getting dressed and heading out for a miry run, yesterday was different. “It’s cold. It’s dark. And it’s wet Melissa. Stay inside today,” the Spirit said. After wrestling with that for a brief moment since I really wanted to head outside for a run, the Lord reminded me that we were under a winter weather advisory in the middle of Fall. “I get it,” I said as I smiled and headed to the elliptical for some cross training. “I must surely need a rest day.”
And you know, every morning I go to the Lord in Bible study and prayer before heading out the door. And while it might seem trivial, I ask Him to guide me through every part of my day, including my workouts. And while most times, I can clearly hear His voice (like yesterday), there are times when I have to repeatedly go to Him to seek answers - times, I have learned, that the Lord uses to develop and grow my patience. You see, patience, or the ability to accept delay, suffering, or annoyance without complaining or becoming angry, doesn’t come naturally to any of us. That’s why it’s a fruit of the Spirit and not of the flesh. But it’s a trait you and I absolutely must cultivate if we are to be more like Christ who patiently endured suffering to give us eternal life.
So if you’re in a period of waiting my friend, be grateful that the Lord is using this time to make you more like Him. And then press on in your pursuit to seek answers, patient and confident that He will answer in His time and not yours.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the lessons You teach us in the quiet times when we must patiently wait to hear your voice. Help us to cherish these times of waiting knowing they are helping to form us into people who will never give up seeking You and will wait on You as long as necessary remembering that a day to You is like a thousand years to us. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.
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