Patience

Giving up sometimes is such a wonderful thought especially when every way you turn there is another hurdle to face. Recently we had one of those times. It was one more thing, another need to call a plumber, another hurdle to face. It's so easy to become discouraged and want to walk away but we can't. There are many things that are sitting waiting for a solution. Our bathroom needs tremendous repairs. We have more work to complete in our living room and dining room and eventually we need to repaint the cupboards in our kitchen, paint the bedrooms and lay flooring. Tons of tasks need to be accomplished. At times it seems overwhelming to consider the magnitude of things that must be completed. Living in a home that needs renovation is a test of patience!

As I think about patience I think about the story of Abraham. God tells us He will do things and then time passes and we begin to wonder if we were just hearing things, if God forgot or if He really will do what He said. This was what happened with Abraham.

In Genesis 15:5, God told Abraham to look up at the sky and count the stars. Just as were many stars in the sky, too many to count, God promised that Abraham's offspring would be just as numerous.

Abraham had no children when God made this promise. It took many more years for this promise to come true but years later his wife Sarah had a son named Isaac. God's promise came true.

We can trust God to fulfill His promises. He always comes through on His word. Our problem is that in our humanness we often become discouraged, impatient and lose our faith in Him just as Abraham did. This story reminds us not to lose faith in the promises God has made to us. May we stand strong, trust deeply in Him and not lose heart. God has tremendous plans for our lives and in His own perfect timing things will work out just as He promised.