In this message, Dr. Stanley lays out the truth plainly: Patience is indispensable to our ability to obey God and receive His best for us. It may feel excruciating to wait upon the Lord, but that’s exactly where He said He would renew our strength (Isaiah 40:31). Discover why you can trust God’s perfect timing.
the fruit of the Spirit is patience the
Spirit of God will exercise patience in
you for you to you through you in your
behalf because that’s the will of God
thoughts that we follow his will walk in
his way
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four decades ago we started in touch
ministries to lead people worldwide into
a growing relationship with Jesus Christ
throughout the years we’ve seen God’s
greatness his love and his blessings in
such awesome ways that we just want
everyone to know him so let’s open God’s
Word and seek Him together next on
InTouch patience essential to
experiencing God’s best when you trust
that Jesus Christ as your personal
Savior immediately the Holy Spirit came
into your life to seal you as a child of
God that’s the reason we know that we
are eternally secure it is his work and
not our conduct that makes us acceptable
to God and in the process of doing so
when I think about that I think about
the fact that the Holy Spirit she loves
and equipped us to do whatever he’s
called us to do many people will live
out their life in church baptized
there’ll in life heard lots and lots of
sermons and we’ll never understand that
God never intended for them to live the
Christian life he didn’t he intended for
them to allow the Holy Spirit who lives
within them to live out the life of the
Lord Jesus Christ so we are not only
equipped for salvation he’s equipped us
to do whatever he’s called as the new
one of his whatever he has made us to be
and made us to do so when you think
about your life and you think about the
challenges you face remember this that
you are already empowered by the Holy
Spirit to live in the face any situation
any circumstance of life he didn’t just
save us and let us get along the best we
can so when you think about your life
and you think about things you face when
you face difficulties would you say that
you’re a patient person and the truth is
all of us probably have areas of our
life
it’s difficult for us to stand by a
whole bank what we think of what we’d
like to do but patience is a gift from
God but it isn’t something we work up it
is a gift of God through the Holy Spirit
when you were saved he sealed you as one
of his children and he began to release
in your life if you’ll allow him the
fruit of the Spirit love joy peace
patience and so that’s what I want to
talk about I want to talk about this
whole issue of how essential it is that
you and I experience God’s patience in
our life because it affects every single
thing we do and one of his primary
objectives is to enable us to walk
patiently in our Christian life so
listen to this Psalm 27 verse 14 wait
for the Lord be strong and let your
heart take courage yes wait for the Lord
well why would you say that because the
wait for the Lord sometimes we have to
be strong and we have to take courage
because sometimes pressures are there
for us to make decisions in our life
husbands and wives families business
whatever it might be he says wait in the
37th Psalm the seventh first he says
three times rest in the Lord in this
passage rest in the Lord and wait
patiently for him do not fret the 40th
Psalm says I waited patiently for the
Lord and He inclined to me and heard my
prayer look at that
I would eat patiently for the Lord and
he inclined to me he bent he heard what
I was talking to him about and he
answered my petition
so patience is very important in every
aspect of life so how would you define
patience if somebody said well explain
it just define patience for me
what would you say it’s the quiet
uncomplaining endurance under stress or
annoyance
long tempered so ask yourself the
question are you quiet and uncomplaining
when things don’t go your way and let me
give you the simplest definition of
patience this is this patience is the
will to wait that’s all you need
patience is the will to wait that in
situations come our way we have to make
decisions and yet at times we don’t know
what to do of times when God gives us a
check in our spirit and we have to make
a decision will I wait for God’s
direction or will or not most people
don’t want to wait they want God to act
on their timetable think about this we
would acknowledge that God’s omniscient
he knows everything we they were they
knowledge that he knows all about us we
would acknowledge that he knows what’s
best for us and yet we come to those
situations where God tells us to wait
and we don’t want to wait and so we come
up with all the reasons why we shouldn’t
have to wait we look at other people and
they have this and they have that and
watch it why should we have to wait
because God in His infinite love and
power for us knows that at certain times
in our life certain things don’t fit
that is God created us to do what to
live for him to serve Him and to reflect
him he he created us to live out the
life that he’s placed within us whenever
I want something he doesn’t want me to
have and I insist on having it I’m being
impatient whenever we push God well Lord
I’ve waited long enough that it’s time
for me to have what I want
watch this God is your greatest
protector when he says no listen don’t
think about it as as God rejected you
it’s God we’re doing heart protecting
you when God says no it’s a word of
protection we oftentimes think we’ll God
if you love me you let me have this that
Nilla it’s the will to wait so ask
yourself the question would you say that
you
or a patient person let us think about
the moment would you say that you’re a
patient person that is that you calmly
tolerate the delays that God places in
your life when he says no you come to
him for something that you believe is
the will of God for your life you ask
him about it and yet watch this here’s
what happens you asked the Lord about it
and you don’t hear anything and you ask
him about it and you don’t hear anything
and so you say well you got Hannah well
it must be okay because it’s got it
y’all didn’t tell me I couldn’t don’t
ever go that route if you say I’m gonna
do this because God hasn’t told me I
shouldn’t what about waiting for God to
tell you that you should and so we can
we can manipulate the word and we can
manipulate circumstances in order to
justify our own desires when oftentimes
they are handicaps in their life they’re
the seeds of destruction in their life
because we’re not willing to wait for
God listen would you agree that God
loves you would you agree to that say
men well some of you did somebody don’t
do God does love you let me ask you a
question you love your children come on
now do you love your children okay if
they ask you for something that you know
that’s gonna hurt them do you want to
give it to them well what do you expect
God to do that you ask God for something
and sometimes God says no then here’s
what you do oftentimes people say I’m
gonna get the scriptures find out what
God says I’ve heard this so many times
and so there go be the Psalms and the
Proverbs are somewhere and they’ll then
look around they’ll find the passage it
says let’s see here now they’ll look and
look and look and that they’ll say well
surely what God must be saying something
to me and they’ll find them a verse that
says that they can interpret that God
says yes and they say God told me I can
do it that’s not the way God operates
listen to this when you are saved the
Holy Spirit sealed use a child
lives her than you 24 hours a day one of
the primary purposes heavy-heavy written
your name in the Lamb’s Book of Life had
been sealed you as a child God forever
he lives within you to direct you to
give direction of your life the fruit of
the Spirit is love joy and peace and
patience that’s part of what he does in
our life so you have within you the
absolute truth the right compass the one
who’s going to give you the right
direction every single time you ask him
that’s who he is because God knows how
complicated life is he didn’t just leave
us here apart from the sphere he told
his disciples he said sit down in the
city of Jerusalem until you be endued
with power from on high
you can’t live out the life I’ve given
you without the Holy Spirit and so
that’s exactly what they did they went
until he came and entered them when you
were saved the Holy Spirit came into
your life sealed you as a child of God
you’re always a child of God you can’t
be lost once Simba the blood of Jesus
you can’t be lost but you can certainly
mess up your life but not listening to
the Holy Spirit who came to live within
you get to give direction and guidance
and clarity and every single aspect of
your life so patience patience is
critical listen know what he says
the fruit of the Spirit that is you can
expect the Holy Spirit to express
himself in the following ways love joy
peace patience so that you have the one
living within you willing to direct you
in every circumstance of life so let’s
think about if our moment what’s what’s
required of us to have patience we have
requirements and I’ve been a Christian
for 73 years and you know what God has
never misled me have always made the
right decision though I haven’t but you
know what every single time if I made a
wrong decision I had to face it God you
try to get my attention I wasn’t
listening
and after a while you learn
that never pays and you follow his will
you walk in his way so what requirements
do I have in my life if I’m going to be
patient first of all Harvey I gotta have
faith in God
have faith in God to believe that he
will direct me every single time
whatever I need whatever direction
because he promised to do so second I
must have the spirit of obedience if I
have an obedient spirit I choose to obey
God I’m a I’m a faltering that by
missing it somehow but the Holy Spirit
is there to enable us to give us
guidance to do what to follow him then
of course here’s what’s happening the
discernment of God’s timing the Holy
Spirit will show us when oftentimes we
will ask him for something that’s not
his will at the moment it’s not his plan
right now but his plan later and what we
have to do is be wise enough to say okay
God if it’s not your will or if it’s not
your will now give me the grace to wait
until you give me permission to have
also to go with whatever it might be
then if I’m gonna be patient I’ve got a
love yard if I don’t love God I’m not
going be patient if I don’t love him I
want it now if I don’t love him I want
things to work out the way I want them
when I want them and yet if I’m gonna be
patient I’ve got to love him there was
if I love him I will be patient if
somebody says I love God but no there’s
no but if I love him I will be patient
if I don’t love him I don’t trust him
and I won’t be patient so ask yourself
the question would you be considered by
your husband your wife your friends
people you work with do they see you as
a patient person now there are only two
answers yes or no yes they do
no they don’t and that’s because of your
conduct your conversation and your
character around them if I love myself
if I love things if I love other people
more
I love God I’m gonna satisfy myself but
God was the best for his children that’s
not a single person who can say well God
doesn’t want the best for me yes he does
well if he did he’d have given me her or
him or this or that no the reason he
didn’t give you that’s because he does
love you because God’s love for us has
no limitations and that love is so
powerful that God will say no when he
knows that what we want is not of him
he’s going to make it known to us the
fruit of the Spirit is patience willing
willing to wait long when necessary so
you ask yourself if that’s true that
takes courage to be obedient to God it
takes courage to be it to be patient
because sometimes and I can take you
back in my life at times and I thought
well Lord I’m coming to the edge over
here and if you don’t do something soon
I’m gonna I don’t fall off the edge what
do you know who’s the other side of the
edge Almighty God you’re not gonna fall
off the edge there are times when God
will let us get very very close to what
we think is an ultimate unchangeable
desperation but he’s always there he’s a
God of love of Direction guidance and
counsel in that right it takes courage
the trust him and simply said I have to
be determined to wait I could give you a
lot of illustrations of people over the
years that I’ve counseled to wait about
something they were going to purchase
wait about something in their marriage
wait about something about their
children or young people about decisions
they’re making about college and so
forth every single time that I can
recall when a person heard godly counsel
and chose to do it their way it never
ended the way they
intended you know what because God wants
the best for us and he says I will guide
you and teach you in the way which you
should go watch this we started off by
saying patience is the fruit of the
Spirit it’s a gift from God
which means that you have within you the
capacity to make wise choices for the
fruit of the Spirit is patience
the Spirit of God will exercise patience
in you for you to you through you in
your behalf because that’s the will of
God for us that we follow his will walk
in his way and God knows that there are
difficult times and difficult situations
that we face and sometimes we don’t know
what to do he’s there to show us what to
do
if you will follow up Jesus if you’re a
Christian if you if you’ve trusted God
in your life is very slavey
you have within you the ultimate
ultimate ultimate ultimate counselor for
every single solitary situation life he
will direct you God would not withhold
truth from you he’s not gonna withhold
wise counsel from you if you don’t have
wise counselors because you not ask him
he’s would-be why because he loves you
unconditionally he wants the best for
you no matter what so the fruit of the
Spirit is patience patience is not a
it’s not a popular subject you know what
tell you our because we want what we
want when we want it how we want it
that’s it and when we can’t have it we
don’t want anybody telling us what we
can’t I understand that Jesus said the
same thing when he when he talked people
they won’t they didn’t want to hear some
of the things he said but that’s okay so
let’s think about it for a moment what
are we saying that patience is essential
to experiencing God’s best number one
it’s essential to a life of obedience to
God if I’m gonna obey yard I got
until I must hear him and I must obey if
I’m gonna obey God I must be willing to
give up my own personal desires and
opinions at times in order to do what he
says that’s God loving me
watch this whatever you’re going through
and you’re praying about it and yeah and
God says no to you watch this when he
says no to you what is he saying here’s
what he’s saying I love you
God’s know is I love you and somebody
says well no when God says no to me I
get angry no when God says no he’s
saying I love you then think about this
it’s essential to building a good
relationship with other people that is
patience if you’re gonna have good
friends you have to be patient with them
and I don’t need to tell you that you
feel married you have to have patience
patience of each other wherever you are
have to have patience it is not a gift
of God it’s a requirement to be able to
get along in life with your children
with your husband with your wife if you
live with somebody who has no patience
that is a very very difficult situation
all of us need to express patience and
all of us need to be able to express
that patience tell other people because
other people make mistakes we can all
get impatient if we’re not careful but
you notice something impatience never
cures anything it doesn’t you have
within you the Holy Spirit who will give
you clear direction about anything in
your life you’re concerned about
anything any relationship whatever it
might be and think about this timing is
so very important its timing is
important in sports in Portland finances
important in relationships important in
the war important in photography
Tommy is very important God is always
there within you as a follower of Jesus
have you Holy Spirit within you
there to give you clear direction in any
and every circumstance of life if you’re
willing to wait for him wait upon the
Lord does he give you clear direction
immediately oftentimes he will but a
major decision in your life you may have
to wait until God tells you what to do
are you willing to wait do you treasure
the wisdom of God that you’ve valued the
wisdom of God the you prize the wisdom
of God do you desire the wisdom of God
enough to wait until he makes it very
clear what you should do and I’ve seen
so many people make decisions that they
knew they shouldn’t have made but here’s
what I hear often times well I waited
for three months a lot waited for six
months I waited for two weeks I waiting
waiting waiting nothing ever happened so
so what so I did my own thing God loves
us he only wants the best for us when
God says wait here’s what you listen to
I’m loving you that’s what he’s doing
he’s loving us when he tells us to wait
remember we said it’s simply patience
are simply the wilderness away and when
we wait we see God at work and
oftentimes I’ve watched this in my own
life having to wait and wait and wait
about something and then watch God
finally bring it to a conclusion over
and over and over again my response has
been thank you Jesus thank you thank you
dear God that I waited thank you Jesus
that I didn’t step ahead of you most
people today probably are unhappy
because they have refused to wait upon
God for Direction about something in
their life a lot of people in deep
trouble today because they didn’t wait
how many times have I talked to people
who are married who said to me I knew I
shouldn’t have done that
why did you do it well there give me
some reason or I made this decision in
my life and I never thought about asking
God what I want you to see is one simple
thing God loves you he created you he
has a purpose for your life you mean I
know what the purpose is you may have
lived two-thirds of your life never even
asked God about anything but I’m telling
you he loved you he saved you he has a
purpose for your life a plan for your
life and he will make it clear if you
will ask him and relax don’t push him
other words you say well I’ve waited two
weeks that’s long enough that’s long
enough from your finite mind it’s not
long enough watch this let me ask you a
question is God perfect say Amen well is
he late then why don’t we wait for him
if we say he’s perfect and he’s not late
then if I’m waiting I’m on time I’m
waiting to God says this is the moment
I’m telling you fall of my heart you can
never lose never never in there if I
were about 25 years old telling you that
you forget it I can tell you at 85 you
never lose and I’ve been in some of the
toughest situations very difficult
situations traumatic situations never
never never never lose waiting up on
y’all trust him listen to him wait for
him and watch to see what happens well
if you’ve never trusted Jesus as you
save you none of us are work won’t work
and so I simply say this to you you will
struggle through life and make many
mistakes and end up in a disaster
without Christ in your life but if you
will and ask him to forgive you of your
sins
surrender your life to him you have this
awesome eternal omnipotent asset the
holy spirit giving guidance direction
and perfect timing
if you listen to him and I would
encourage you if you’re not saying never
trust in Christ settle this issue and
let the Lord Jesus Christ become the
master of your life life’s going to
change
listen don’t live a life outside the
will of God because to do so is to live
outside the blessing of God
father we love you and praise you and
thank you that you never make a mistake
always perfect your timing is perfect to
the second we pray the Holy Spirit will
speak to every single person here that
we all examine ourselves afresh and anew
about the degree of patience we have or
do not have you know who seated right
here right now who’s facing attestation
this afternoon tomorrow sometime this
week before the week is over major
decision in their life god I pray that
you give them wisdom enough to wait
until they hear clearly from you what
they should do and to be confident that
you will always give them clear guidance
and everything we love Him we praise you
for father in Jesus name Amen
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