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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