The Power of Patience

📖 James 1:3-4 (KJV) Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

• Patience is actually one of Gods attributes.

📖 2 Peter 3:9 (KJV) The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

• As we know, God showed tremendous grace and patience toward the Hebrew people throughout the Old Testament. Despite their rebellion, idolatry, and constant complaining, He continued to guide, protect, and forgive them time and time again.

• Patience keeps us from giving up too soon, reacting in anger, or losing faith when things take longer than expected. It helps us stay in alignment with God’s timing, trusting that His ways are higher than ours.

1️⃣ Patience is Produced Through Trials

📖 James 1:3 (KJV) Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

• That means patience is not learned in comfort, but in challenge.

  When everything is easy, we don’t need patience. But when we’re tested when prayers take longer than expected, when people test our spirit God is developing something in us.

• Think of Joseph from age 17 to age 30, Joseph waited 13 years between being sold into slavery and finally stepping into the position God had promised him.

  Those 13 years were filled with:

  • Hard labor as a slave

  • False accusations

  • Loneliness and injustice in prison

  Yet Joseph remained faithful, trusting that God’s plan would come to pass in His time.

📖 Genesis 37:2 (KJV) These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.

• So Joseph was 17 years old when he was taken into slavery.

📖 Genesis 41:46 (KJV) And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

• And now Joseph is 30 when he stood before Pharaoh, this means there is 13 years of patience but the wait wasn’t wasted it was preparation.
  During that time, God developed his integrity, humility, leadership, and forgiveness so he could handle great responsibility later.

⏳ Patience is the classroom where faith grows strong.

2️⃣ Patience Keeps You in God’s Will

• Impatience often leads people to make decisions outside God’s plan.
  Abraham and Sarah got impatient and brought Ishmael into the picture instead of waiting for Isaac. That one decision caused generations of conflict.

• When you move ahead of God, you might get what you want, but lose what God planned.

👑 King Saul – Offering the Sacrifice Early (1 Samuel 13:8–14)

📖 1 Samuel 13:8-14 (KJV) And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. 9 And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering. 10 And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. 11 And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; 12 Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.

• Saul was instructed by Samuel to wait seven days before making the sacrifice.
  When Samuel didn’t arrive on time, Saul got impatient and offered the sacrifice himself a duty that only a priest could perform.

• Because of his impatience and disobedience, God rejected him as king.

📖 1 Samuel 13:13-14 (KJV) And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. 14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.

• Hasn’t this happened to us where we have made a rash decision and it back fired?

Lesson: Impatience can cost you your position and God’s favor.

📖 Psalms 40:1-3 (KJV) A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, andestablished my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

If you’re praying for something and it hasn’t come yet don’t panic, pause and trust. God’s “not yet” doesn’t mean “no.” It means “I’m preparing something better.”

3️⃣ Patience Reveals Spiritual Maturity

📖 James 1:4 (KJV) But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

• Patiences teaches us to not want things rashly, a bad example of not being patience is in Luke 15.

The Prodigal Son – Demanding His Inheritance Early (Luke 15:11–24)

📖 Luke 15:11-24 (KJV) And he said, A certain man had two sons: 12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. 13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. 14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. 15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. 17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

• The younger son demanded his inheritance before the appointed time and left home to live wildly. He got what he wanted but lost what his father planned for him, maybe even years off his life from riotous living.

• So what we can learn is patience teaches us to not want things rashly but to be content in the Lords provision and protection.

📖 1 Timothy 6:6-8 (KJV) But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

• Lets not be like the Prodigal Son who wanted everything now and suffered later.

📖 Psalms 23:1 (KJV) A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Lesson: Rushing ahead of God’s timing can lead to regret.

4️⃣ The Perfect Example of Patience

• Jesus displayed perfect patience throughout His entire life and ministry.
  He was patient with His disciples when they were slow to understand, when they doubted, and even when they argued about who was the greatest among them. Instead of rebuking them harshly, He taught them gently, saying, “Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip?” (John 14:9). That’s the patience of a loving Teacher.

• He was patient even with those who mocked and rejected Him. When soldiers spat upon Him, placed a crown of thorns on His head, and nailed Him to the cross, He didn’t curse them He prayed for them:

📖 Luke 23:34 (KJV) Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

• At any moment, Jesus could have ended His suffering.

📖 Matthew 26:53 (KJV) Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

• But He didn’t He waited. He endured. He obeyed the Father’s plan to the very end.
  That’s divine patience born out of love a love that looked beyond the pain of the cross and saw the joy of our salvation.

• The prophet Isaiah had spoken of this kind of patience long before Jesus came:

Isaiah 53:7 (KJV) He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

• Peter later confirmed this, saying:

1 Peter 2:19-23 (KJV) For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it,ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

• Jesus endured all things betrayal, false accusations, pain, and humiliation yet He never sinned, never retaliated, never gave up. His patience wasn’t weakness; it was divine strength under control.

• Hebrews 12:2 reminds us to look to Him as our example:

📖 Hebrews 12:2 (KJV) Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

5️⃣ The Reward of Patience

📖 Galatians 6:7-9 (KJV) Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

• There is a reward for those who wait faithfully. Your patience is never wasted. God sees every moment.

📖 Revelation 22:12 (KJV) And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

• As a christian we need to not look on the things of this world, its all smoke and mirrors, but the reality is building up riches in heaven, and not on this earth.

📖 1 Timothy 6:6-8 (KJV) But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

• It can be hard as the world always offer our flesh promises of riches and fame, glory and power.

📖 Luke 4:5-8 (KJV) And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

• Let’s not get taken away by these things the world has to offer, just remember this life is temporal but heaven is eternal and thats where we should place our focus as written in Matthew 6.

📖 Matthew 6:19-21 (KJV) Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.