On 8-26-2009 a friend of mine called me in the midst of dealing with a lot of challenges and the anecdotes from the word of God. To this day, one of my great accomplishments is being an aide to the kingdom of God by helping this friend find Christ. Adding souls to the kingdom of God is noble work. I urge all people to reach out to others and invite them to have a personal relationship with the Father. My friend always says that I help him, but I know that most of the time he is helping me. He said the following:
“Your patience is a testimony to your faith.”
There are a few scriptures that give witness to what my friend stated. One is found in Hebrews 6:12, “That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises .” Many have gone before us on the faith walk to obtain their God-given assignment. Through patience, they inherited the promises of God. In any endeavor, faith and patience must be employed. To develop our patient ability, we must picture developing the perfect lawn. All yards have the potential to win the city’s beatification award. In order to even be considered good, the yard has to be cultivated. The challenge is to prune consistently, weed out, and mow while no one is watching. The lawn also requires funds by way of fertilizer and weed control products. If we develop the landscaping and grass area, when it is show time, we will be ready to perform.
Another scripture that captures a different angle on what my friend said is recorded in 2 Thessalonians 1:3-6:
We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith grows exceedingly, and charity of every one of you all toward each other abounds. So that we glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure: Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer: Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you…
God and mankind take notice as your faith grows, and your faith grows in your tribulations if you stay focused on the goal and do not quit. When you have faith and patience in God and increase your ability, the Bible says that you will be “counted worthy of the kingdom of God.” For me, this is a great and precious reward. Once again, here is a reference to our royal heritage. Just in case it seems as if your enemies are getting the upper hand, this scripture states that God deems it righteous to return trouble to those who trouble you. If God is handling the retribution, then you are free to focus on the rightful ascension to a life of glory. How will you grow your faith today?
When a hungry lion is on the plain it has one goal, to eat. The lion can not be distracted by the cubs (kids) crying because the cries are primarily hunger pains. If there is no suitable food in the territory it must travel outside its area. Once he identifies the desired target he must study and stalk it until an opportunity arises. Sometimes the prey is illusive. At times very defensive. Unaffected, the lion continues to pursue. If it is not successful, does he give up? No, he sleeps hungry and wakes again to pursue his goal.
