What has God taught you in regards to patience and waiting on him.

[Jordan Kurecki]

So last night I was driving home to Chicago from college in Indiana, Well I lost control of my car and I crashed into the concrete highway median, I hit it so hard I was sure that I totaled my car, well my phone was just about dead, I didn't know exactly what highway I was on when some random guy pulled up and asked me if I was ok, the front of my car had went up the snow bank and was practically on top of the median, well this guy gets up on the snow mound and pushes my car down off the median/snow mound, I walk around and look at the front of my car and everything was fine except for some bumper damage.... I couldn't believe my eyes.
Psalm 34:6-8 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Anyway, The whole reason why I crashed is because I was driving while it was snowing at night, and I was going the speed limit because I really wanted to get home, I was being impatient and God used this incident to show me just how impatient I've been. I am impatient with people who irritate me and I am very impatient about finishing bible college and I am extremely impatient about finding a wife and getting married.

After I crashed I could pretty much here the voice of God saying :You need to be patient in all areas of your life. Then today my Pastor preached on the children of Israel murmuring and complaining against God and how impatience is unbelief.

Here is a facebook status I posted today:

I'm learning a lot about patience. I really didn't realize how serious God is about us being Patient, Impatience manifests itself in murmuring and complaining about the situations and people that God places us around. Which all stems from unbelief. Think about it, Really.

Psalm _27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Psalm_130:5 I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.

Luke_21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls.

Hebrews_12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

James_1:3-4 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

James_5:7 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.

James_5:10-11 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

What has God shown you about patience? what ways has he used to work patience in your life? What are your thoughts?

 

[Scarlett O.]

Jordan, I'm 52 years old. I don't know it all, but I can share with you what I've learned over the years about patience. You asked - I'm sharing.

First of all, patience just isn't in our nature. Not a 3-year-old or a 93-year-old. But patience is part of the fruit of the spirit. All of us should be bearing it. But we don't.

I think there are some reasons for that that I have learned the hard way over five decades (half a century!!!)

[1] Living day-to-day only wanting our needs met. It's a bad way to live, but so many of us do this. We get our eyes set on those one or two particular needs that aren't being met and we go CRAZY obsessing about it and wondering why God is raining on our parade and not giving us what He is giving everyone else!!

This is a ploy of the devil.

Here's all I can tell you. Don't forget that the devil is crafty and MEAN. God gave Adam and Eve all the trees to eat from - such a bounty. With them focusing on that bounty, that one tree that they were to stay away from probably never crossed their minds. Then the devil came in and very, very subtly said, "So ..... you can't have this one, eh?"

He took Eve's focus away from the bounty of life and now ALL SHE CAN THINK ABOUT is that ONE blasted tree!!! That's when the lies to her worked.

The devil is VERY good at what he does. He is going to CONVINCE you that this ONE need is your ONLY need and he will take your focus away from all else. He will convince you that if you do not get this need met .... right now .... that you will die.

And you can't see the bounty God has given you nor can you live in gratitude, but only frustration, anger, and bitterness.
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[2] Living in the pig stye of discontent. I have been there and done that - more than once. And it isn't where a Christian should live. Paul didn't live there. He said in Philippians that "I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need."

What is the "secret" of living contently even though there are things we desire, want, and need and don't have them. I have learned it is a gratitude to God for what we do have and a blatant REFUSAL to living in misery and/or complaint.
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[3] Living in the mental "do-over" of the past and the non-existent self-plans of the future. Here is where a LOT of people live. Reliving the past - mentally changing past conversations, events, and failures in our heads - living STUCK in the a fantasy.

Yesterday is over and no amount of mental wishing can change that's already happened.

Tomorrow isn't real. It doesn't exist. When "tomorrow" gets here - it won't be tomorrow. It will be "today". When we live in the future - living in the fantasy of how WE see our life unfolding and making unrealistic plans that revolve all around us crushes the opportunity for us to make TODAY what God wanted it to be.

When today is wasted on the wishful thinking of our yesterdays and tomorrows - we get nothing done.

God isn't going to lead us into blessing and/or spiritual assignment #2 and #3 and #4 until we have accomplished or fulfilled #1.

And when we live our days mourning the unmet needs of the past and planning the unmet needs of the future to the point where the reality of today is wasted - it's no wonder we get full of discontent, impatience, and anger.
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Here's a few other scriptures that are meaningful to me.

• Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
• Psalm 37:7-9 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
• Hebrews 6:15 And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. Abraham waited TWENTY FIVE YEARS before God gave he and Sarah that son He promised.
• Lamentations 3:22-27
  22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
  his mercies never come to an end;
  23 they are new every morning;
  great is your faithfulness.
  24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
  “therefore I will hope in him.”
  
  25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
  to the soul who seeks him.
  26 It is good that one should wait quietly
  for the salvation of the Lord.
  27 It is good for a man that he bear
  the yoke in his youth.
• Psalm 62:8
  
  8 Trust in Him at all times, O people;
  Pour out your heart before Him;
  God is a refuge for us. Selah.

 

[Jordan Kurecki]

Thank you Scarlett!

 

[JamesL]

Recently, I've been working on a job that simply hasn't gone right. I work construction, and my work is such that I give a total price before work begins, then I'm at the mercy of a general contractor to run a job smoothly. This particular job has been anything but smooth, and this contractor flies with a brand of dysfunction that simply chews up any profit I might have figured on.

I've wanted to quit this job, and this contractor, for a few months. But I really felt that God wants me to finish it, and trust Him with how the chips fall. It's not easy when you're in the throes of difficulty.

Then, I had this experience:

A couple of weeks ago, I was at work on a very cold evening. When it's cold outside, I start my truck to warm up, then I lock the doors and put my spare key in my pocket so I can get back in. This keeps my truck from getting stolen while I'm inside loading up tools and such. My spare key and my son's spare key to his car, are in a little magnetic box

On that evening, I grabbed the spare key box, put it in my pocket, and commenced to loading my truck. I have to pick up my younger son from school by 6:00pm, so I started my truck at 5:30, giving myself about 10 minutes to get loaded before I had to leave.

When it was time to go, I opened the little black box to find that only my son's key was in it. I immediately remembered that the last time I did this, I left my key on the kitchen counter at home. I just about started to hyperventilate. I had to get gone, but my truck was locked. I also remembered that I hadn't left myself enough time anyway, because my gas tank was on "E"

I went back inside to get a piece of wire to pull the lock up (it's an older Toyota pickup with knobs). Man, was it cold outside. I tried for about 15 minutes, with my hands freezing. I had left my gloves in the truck, too.

I tried the wire on both doors, unsuccessfully. At the end of my rope, I deducted that my only option was to break a window to get in. Then I thought about my younger son who would have to sit in a seat full of glass when I picked him up. I went back inside the building to warm up and try to talk myself out of breaking a window. I still saw no other option. I was simply out of time, I couldn't wait an hour for a locksmith, and didn't have money for that anyway.

So I went back outside, got a hammer out of the back of the truck and took a deep breath. Man, if there was any other way. Boy, it's sure going to be a cold ride home. I touched the hammer to the glass a couple of times, trying to guess as to the most strategic place to strike it without send glass everywhere inside.

With one last deep breath, I raised the hammer and closed my eyes. Just then, I heard the voice of God, nudging me and saying "Try the other key."

I immediately thought "What other key? My son's key? That fits a Ford Escort, and my truck is a Toyota."

I heard Him say "Just try it."

Well, what have I got to lose? So I pulled out the key - and to my amazement, it went into the lock. But it wouldn't turn. Shucks. I guess I'm back to the hammer.

Just then, I heard His voice again "Try the other door."

Ok, this is starting to feel a little ridiculous. So I go to the other side and put the key in. Once again, it wouldn't turn. It just isn't the right key.

Then He said "Jiggle it."

So I tried turning the key to the right, and started jiggling it. To my absolute amazement, the knob slowly started going up. The key never did turn, but the door unlocked. I shouted at the top of my lungs "YOU'VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME."

Quite honestly, it had been far too long since I had an acute awareness of His sufficiency, and a child-like trust that He can do anything. All too often, we turn inward to solve our problems, to be self sufficient.

We look to others for advice, we turn to food or t.v. (or both) for comfort, we rely on our own abilities instead of taking every burden to Him, so that He might give us rest. We can call it impatience, lack of faith, or any number of things. It is sometimes a combination of issues.

I've said many times that God keeps us (my family) from eating dirt, an expression of my trust that He will provide food and shelter. But sometimes, even though I trust Him to provide food, I don't turn to Him first for answers, for advice, for a renewing of my mind, comfort, and other things.

I've been trusting Christ with my eternal destiny for 15 years. But sometimes I still go my own way and fall into a ditch. But thankfully, He never forgets about me, and He's there to drag my back out of the mire and muck

 

[Jordan Kurecki]

Recently, I've been working on a job that simply hasn't gone right. I work construction, and my work is such that I give a total price before work begins, then I'm at the mercy of a general contractor to run a job smoothly. This particular job has been anything but smooth, and this contractor flies with a brand of dysfunction that simply chews up any profit I might have figured on.

I've wanted to quit this job, and this contractor, for a few months. But I really felt that God wants me to finish it, and trust Him with how the chips fall. It's not easy when you're in the throes of difficulty.

Then, I had this experience:

A couple of weeks ago, I was at work on a very cold evening. When it's cold outside, I start my truck to warm up, then I lock the doors and put my spare key in my pocket so I can get back in. This keeps my truck from getting stolen while I'm inside loading up tools and such. My spare key and my son's spare key to his car, are in a little magnetic box

On that evening, I grabbed the spare key box, put it in my pocket, and commenced to loading my truck. I have to pick up my younger son from school by 6:00pm, so I started my truck at 5:30, giving myself about 10 minutes to get loaded before I had to leave.

When it was time to go, I opened the little black box to find that only my son's key was in it. I immediately remembered that the last time I did this, I left my key on the kitchen counter at home. I just about started to hyperventilate. I had to get gone, but my truck was locked. I also remembered that I hadn't left myself enough time anyway, because my gas tank was on "E"

I went back inside to get a piece of wire to pull the lock up (it's an older Toyota pickup with knobs). Man, was it cold outside. I tried for about 15 minutes, with my hands freezing. I had left my gloves in the truck, too.

I tried the wire on both doors, unsuccessfully. At the end of my rope, I deducted that my only option was to break a window to get in. Then I thought about my younger son who would have to sit in a seat full of glass when I picked him up. I went back inside the building to warm up and try to talk myself out of breaking a window. I still saw no other option. I was simply out of time, I couldn't wait an hour for a locksmith, and didn't have money for that anyway.

So I went back outside, got a hammer out of the back of the truck and took a deep breath. Man, if there was any other way. Boy, it's sure going to be a cold ride home. I touched the hammer to the glass a couple of times, trying to guess as to the most strategic place to strike it without send glass everywhere inside.

With one last deep breath, I raised the hammer and closed my eyes. Just then, I heard the voice of God, nudging me and saying "Try the other key."

I immediately thought "What other key? My son's key? That fits a Ford Escort, and my truck is a Toyota."

I heard Him say "Just try it."

Well, what have I got to lose? So I pulled out the key - and to my amazement, it went into the lock. But it wouldn't turn. Shucks. I guess I'm back to the hammer.

Just then, I heard His voice again "Try the other door."

Ok, this is starting to feel a little ridiculous. So I go to the other side and put the key in. Once again, it wouldn't turn. It just isn't the right key.

Then He said "Jiggle it."

So I tried turning the key to the right, and started jiggling it. To my absolute amazement, the knob slowly started going up. The key never did turn, but the door unlocked. I shouted at the top of my lungs "YOU'VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME."

Quite honestly, it had been far too long since I had an acute awareness of His sufficiency, and a child-like trust that He can do anything. All too often, we turn inward to solve our problems, to be self sufficient.

We look to others for advice, we turn to food or t.v. (or both) for comfort, we rely on our own abilities instead of taking every burden to Him, so that He might give us rest. We can call it impatience, lack of faith, or any number of things. It is sometimes a combination of issues.

I've said many times that God keeps us (my family) from eating dirt, an expression of my trust that He will provide food and shelter. But sometimes, even though I trust Him to provide food, I don't turn to Him first for answers, for advice, for a renewing of my mind, comfort, and other things.

I've been trusting Christ with my eternal destiny for 15 years. But sometimes I still go my own way and fall into a ditch. But thankfully, He never forgets about me, and He's there to drag my back out of the mire and muck

That reminds me of something that happened to me a little bit ago.
I use to deliver pizza for Papa Johns last year, well anyway I was rebelling against God in an area of my life and being carnal, I was driving a pizza and I could find the house, so I pulled into the dead center of a parking lot and called the person who's pizza I was suppose to be delivering, well I shifted into 1st gear and my car wouldn't budge an inch and it was making a horribly loud screeching sound... So I turned my car off and restarted it to try again, nothing changed, I tried that about 3 more times. My first instinct was to go to prayer, but I knew I was in rebellion, So i just sat there, knowing exactly why I was in the situation because of my sin.... Well I ended up repenting right there and asking God to forgive me and I sat there, when I heard God say "Try again" I turned the car back on and put it into first gear and it drove off perfectly fine, I never did ever have that same problem.

Needless to say God really got my attention and showed me how powerful he is.