In Genesis 6:13-14(NLT), our Heavenly Father said to Noah, “13 I have decided to destroy all living creatures, for they have filled the earth with violence. Yes, I will wipe them all out along with the earth! 14 “Build a large boat from cypress wood and waterproof it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior.” Human beings had become exceedingly wicked in all their ways, but not Noah. He obeyed God’s commands and was faithful to Him. Genesis 7:1(NLT) tells us, “When everything was ready, the LORD said to Noah, “Go into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I can see that you alone are righteous.”
God provided the earth to human beings for a habitation. He is good and generous, and He never makes a mistake. 1Corinthians 10:26(NLT) affirms, “For “the earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it.” He owns everything and He knows everything that is happening presently and that will happen in the future. God is all-powerful, and He can do anything, but He restrains Himself to the perfect laws of His Word and Will. As workers of His Word, we should know that in less time than the blink of an eye, God could have supernaturally caused an ark to appear, but He didn’t do that. Noah had to use quality materials and tools according to God’s commands, and he had to work and perform all the labor necessary to build that ark. Many scholars believe that it took between 55 to 75 years to build, and because he carefully followed the guidance and leadership of our Heavenly Father, Noah didn’t miss a beat.
This kind of obedience, patience, and endurance is required to build anything of quality. We must remember this when it comes to all our desires. The Apostle Paul said in 1Corinthians 3:10(NLT), “According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.” As God’s children and followers of Christ, God has empowered us to build a life on the foundation of Jesus Christ, and this is what we must do. Most of us recognize this. We understand that we can’t sit back with our hands tucked beneath our laps and expect the blessings of God to fall into our hands. James 2:26 tells us that faith without works is dead. Our faith in God must be backed with the right kinds of actions. Like Noah, we must heed God’s commands and build our lives using the empowerment, materials, and tools that He’s provided.
Our problem is that we haven’t used the empowerment, materials, and tools in a way that yields a solid foundation for all our desires, especially marriage. Isaiah 40:31(NKJV) says, “But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” The wait is the span of time between praying for a desire and having it manifest in our lives. This verse tells us that those who wait on God act differently than those that don’t. Those who wait on Him renew their strength. They mount up, run, and walk in faith. We accomplish this by seeking God with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength. We stay in His face by reading and studying His Word, and we are committed to praying often.
So, while we’ve been waiting on God, He’s been waiting on us to get moving by increasing our faith in Him. He has empowered us through His precious Holy Spirit and equipped us with everything we need to build a life that is pleasing to Him and fulfilling to us. Many have been praying to cross paths and build a relationship with the person God has ordained to walk with them through life. They’ve been waiting a while now, but patiently waiting on God means that we’ve taken dialogue with Him to a whole other level. We’re conversing with the Father continually. We’re asking the hard questions, and He’s answering them. He’s telling us about the things—the toxic habits, sinful indulgences, and wrong thoughts—that we need to change. He’s also giving us strategies that help us accelerate the intimacy we share in our relationship with Him.
This is not something we can rush, but many of us are trying to do that. We want God to accelerate meeting our future husbands when we have not pressed the pedal to accelerate building our relationship with Him. That’s not how it works. Patience is required and within that patience, we must shift our priorities so that we are demonstrating our devotion and faith to God. It’s a process and we must continually grow in it.
Being patient with God is pursuing God; not just so we can get what we want, but so that we honor Him and express our gratitude and faith with increased passion and meaningfulness. More spiritual growth is almost always the answer for delays in our prayers. We should not desire the blessing more than we desire a closer walk with the Father through Jesus Christ. Our loyalty is going to be tested, and when it is, our patience with God and our faith in Him will ensure that we pass. We, ourselves, must set the atmosphere for the manifestation of our blessings, and God has provided everything we need to do this. Our tools are crafted from the wisdom of His Word, and our materials are everything we’ve received through Jesus Christ. Now, it’s time to focus all our energy on the Father, as He patiently walks with us and helps bring our desires into fruition.■
Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
“Patiently Waiting”, written for Springfield Fellowship © 2024. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.