The Upper Room Daily Devotionals in Nashville, Tennessee, United States "PRAYING FOR PATIENCE" for Monday, 29 August 2016 with Scripture: Isaiah 40:27-31

The Upper Room Daily Devotionals in Nashville, Tennessee, United States "PRAYING FOR PATIENCE" for Monday, 29 August 2016 with Scripture: Isaiah 40:27 Why do you complain, Ya‘akov;
why do you say, Isra’el,
“My way is hidden from Adonai,
my rights are ignored by my God”?
28 Haven’t you known, haven’t you heard
that the everlasting God, Adonai,
the Creator of the ends of the earth,
does not grow tired or weary?
His understanding cannot be fathomed.
29 He invigorates the exhausted,
he gives strength to the powerless.
30 Young men may grow tired and weary,
even the fittest may stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in Adonai will renew their strength,
they will soar aloft as with eagles’ wings;
when they are running they won’t grow weary,
when they are walking they won’t get tired.
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The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.[Galatians 5:22-23 (NRSV)]
After thyroid surgery I was not able to speak above a whisper. Although my surgeon was concerned, he assured me that my voice should return to normal in about six weeks.
I was worried. What was I to do about my preaching responsibilities if my voice was not restored? Would I have to leave the pastoral ministry? Would I lose my voice completely?
I prayed for healing, but I soon realized that I also had to pray for patience. I asked God to teach me how to wait. And while I waited, I resumed my Sunday preaching schedule carefully, with some reservation.
After about six weeks, I was talking in a whisper on the telephone when my voice regained its normal resonance. Since then, my voice has never wavered in strength and quality — and I am amazed at God’s comforting presence. God taught me how to wait with abundant hope and enabled me to engage in ministry with new strength and energy.
Read more from the author, here.
"More from Ernest Lyght"
Over the years, I have continued to learn about patience as God teaches me how to be patient. Patience is about waiting for something to happen, such as an answer to our prayers. I firmly believe that God answers all of our prayers; however, God does not necessarily answer our prayers as a matter of rapid response.
Waiting on God is difficult, because we live in a culture that expects instant gratification. We tend to become impatient when something does not happen quickly: the traffic light is too long; the water is taking too long to boil; this weather is lasting too long, etc. God tends to respond to me and finally act in God’s own time, not on my time schedule.
Good things often happen while we are waiting. I remember waiting at a train crossing where the signal lights were flashing and there were no crossing gates. I was growing impatient, because I could not see an approaching train, nor could I hear an approaching train whistle. My impatience allowed me to contemplate crossing the track while the lights were still flashing, even though no train had arrived at the intersection of highway and railroad tracks. All of a sudden, a train roared through the intersection. I thanked God for granting me the patience to wait in that situation, rather than to follow my impulse to cross the tracks where there was an unseen approaching train.
Learning to be patient has helped me to grow in my trust of God’s activity in my life. Each time I read the story of the journey of Moses in the wilderness, I gain a deeper understanding of trust. Moses as a leader had to wait on God; he learned to trust God. In trusting God, he came to the realization that he could depend on God.
God led the children of Israel by day and by night. God provided fresh food for the people to eat on a daily basis. God also provided fresh water for the people to drink. While Moses was waiting to be delivered to freedom, God provided for him and the children of Israel. Moses grew in his relationship with God.
My growth in patience also has taught me to be a more careful listener. So, it is productive at certain times to be still, be quiet, and allow God to whisper in our ears. I have learned to cherish the quiet moments when I am just sitting, listening to the sounds around me and listening to God. These moments can be so instructive and inspirational.
I am encouraged in knowing that we can find hope in our waiting. We can find God in our silence. We can find strength in knowing that God is with us. We will ultimately experience peace in our waiting. We can experience God’s healing in our waiting. I have learned that indeed people who wait on God do renew their strength as we journey on the spiritual path with God and other pilgrim disciples.
Yes, I am continually learning to be a more patient person. With God’s help, I have grown more patient through the passage of time. I am learning how to wait.[Ernest S. Lyght, Click here to check out Ernest's blog, The Lyght House.]
The Author: Ernest S. Lyght (New Jersey, USA)
Thought for the Day: Today I will look for patience in the presence of God.
Prayer: Dear God, as we rush through life, slow us down. Teach us how to wait with patience and hope. Amen.
Prayer focus: SOMEONE WHO STRUGGLES TO BE PATIENT
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