PASTOR OLUWASEYI OSANYINBI
Patience is one of the attributes of God and it is powerful enough to conquer the Devil. We must have it in abundance so that we can win when the enemy places us under a siege. The Book of Job is a Book that has been written to teach us how to succeed when the devil puts us under a siege. The Devil usually puts us under siege and the purpose of the siege is to break our will and confession. In practical warfare, the strategy of the enemy is to break our will to fight. We have to be like Job who stayed true to His commitment to God under serious attack. Even the Psalmist having experienced God very well advised us to wait on the Lord.
PSALM 37:7(KJV): “7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.”,
ISAIAH 25:9(KJV): “9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
ECCLESIASTES 7:8(KJV): “8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.”
PROVERBS 16:32(KJV): “32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.”
In order to be patient, we must have self-control. The ability to control our spirit is self-control and this self-control is what makes us patient. We have to learn how to wait on God. There’s no time table for God’s blessings upon us. We shouldn’t be moved when people go through crooked means to solve their problems and they prosper. We cannot hold on to our testimony if we are not patient.
ACTS 1:4(KJV): “4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.”, HEBREWS 10:36(KJV): “36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”
JAMES 5:7(KJV): “7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.”,
ROMANS 5:3(KJV): “3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;”
In solving the problem of humanity, it was possible for Jesus to have come to the world a full-grown Man but God had him birthed and allowed him to go through the process of childhood. That was God being patient so that Jesus could save the world. God also kept John the Baptist in the wilderness for long until his revelation to Israel. Patience is a virtue. Patience is a strength and not a weakness. We have to learn how to wait. Waiting is a disposition of mind. King Saul had a problem with patience and the kingdom was taken away from him.
Doing the will of God doesn’t mean the reward comes immediately. We can’t push God, He is not in a hurry. God himself is patient. We shouldn’t make hasty decisions, it is required of us to have this attribute of God. No matter how convenient it may be, wait and don’t act. We should not make any move until we get the signal to act. It is tribulation that works patience. Without patience one cannot come into perfection.