Patience # 2

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful" (John 14:27).

Hey Gang:  I believe patience is worthy of a second morning message.  It is common knowledge that the anxiety level in the United States is in the red zone and climbing.  Not sure what is higher than the red zone - but perhaps it is the suicide rate and it, too, is in the red zone. 

I recently returned from a trip to Zion, Illinois, and confess I do not believe I was at or under the speed limit one time from the time I hit the Indiana border until I hit the Indiana border on the return trip.  I tend to drive the speed limits but when you are in the midst of semi's and every shape, year and size vehicle that is zipping in and out of traffic at speeds far exceeding the speed limit, it becomes a survival issue.

As we learned in the first message on patience, only as we sink our roots into the hard rocky soil of the wilderness, only as we wait patiently for the bush to burn, only as we learn to wait until the honey runs from the hive instead of squeezing the fruit of the hive from it, do we begin to learn patience.

One of the great virtues I have learned in my wilderness experiences - patience is a survival skill.  A good friend once shared a principle that has helped me through some very tough spots, "This too shall pass - in Good Time".  I learned, in my trips to the Arabah that time is not important to the Bedouin.  You rise when the sun comes up and retire when it goes down.  Meals are scheduled by body need, not the clock.  In the desert, one learns to wait.

In the wilderness you have time to pull aside and look at a burning bush, time to just sit and time to talk with a friend.  Time to walk as far as you want with no anxiety about schedules, appointments, etc.  Only in the wilderness do you discover how precious it is to have enough time to spend time with Abba Father.

Notice in the Bible the common time frame of 40 years.(This is seems like a life time to most people today). The rains descended at the time of the flood forty days and forty nights,  Moses was in the wilderness for forty years, Moses was on the mountain with God forty days on two occasions.  The children of Israel wandered in the desert forty years.  Elijah's journey into the wilderness lasted forty days.  Jonah warned Nineveh to repent for forty days.  Jesus fasted in the wilderness for forty days and when He appeared to His disciples after His resurrection, He was present for forty days.

It is important to note what happened after the forty times period.  Jesus early ministry began, Moses trip to Sinai, the forty years of wandering, in preparation for entry into the Promised Land. Ask a Bedouin how long it takes to move his sheep and he will reply "Not long".  When is tea ready? When the water boils.  Go  to  bed "when sleepy".  Bedouins look to the Palm and say when God decrees so, the fruit will be ready.  God does not expect fruit every day.  Some must drip from the hive before it is pure enough to us.

Soooo,  Jamie completed his notes on patience with these words that we should take to heart: "Keep in mind  there are seasons when the man of God flourishes spiritually.  Then there are times when leaves of one’s life fall, the fruit disappears, and for all appearances our tree is lifeless.  But each tree has a season and in the proper season the fruit reappears.  The lesson of the desert: when your branches are bare, when the buds have dried up, when your leaves drop in discouragement - remember your roots".

Sooooo, my friends, relax - take your time.  And know that in your season, you shall bear fruit again.

Blessings,

Gramps

P.S.  "Be like the teakettle; when it's up to its neck in hot water, it sings".  (Plain People Proverb)