Recently, we have had many things come to fruition in our lives. So many things that we have been waiting on have finally happened. Many many things. The Lord has been good to us. It has been a long wait.

Of all the prophets in the Old Testament, Isaiah is one of the most productive. 45 chapters and each one is long. Chapters are often given titles. Isaiah 40 is called Comfort for God’s people. It is the prophet speaking comfort to a people who have been displaced from their homes and exiled from the temple of the Lord. They have been travelling, searching, and waiting for a long rime. There is a simple help in Isaiah 40:31 – But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Psalms 27:14 – Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. Pretty clear. Wait on the Lord.

I saw this saying on a song from you tube the other day. It was on a t-shirt that said, “Wait Training – the ultimate in strength development.” The things that you want – we all want them now. I want my house fixed; I want my back healed or how about I want to graduate now and get on with the rest of my life. How is your patience today? Is patience difficult for you?

We must learn the art of patience if we genuinely want to enjoy life. I guess you could call it “wait-training.” W A I T. Everyone needs practice. How hard is it to wait in line at the grocery or department store? Shift lines a lot? One workout we need to regularly participate in is the exercise of patience. There is always something for which we are waiting. Look at the world around you and revel in God’s creations. Do not rush – it will put everything together in God’s time. Obviously, there are some things we must rush, or we will get fired or someone sick will not get the help they need now. Look around you while waiting in that line. The little girl smiling up at her Mom in front of you is easy to see as one of our Lord’s creations but look deeper…..

There is a reason that they say patience is a virtue. Patience will lead to a happier life because you appreciate things more. The “Wait” was worth it. The Bible speaks often about the importance of waiting on God: Once again in Psalms 25:5 – Lead me in thy truth and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

The main message of Isiaih above is that God is both the judge and the savior. This means that God has a plan to make all things right in the end, and that a necessary part of that process is declaring what is not yet right. It tells us to be patient. The judgment of God declares what is broken; the promise of God is to heal. That is present tense. It is happening now. Wait for it.

In Lamentations 3:24, it says “All good things come to those who wait.” But the real word of patience is in James 5:8. “ 8 You also must be patient. Keep your hopes high, for the day of the Lord’s coming is near.” When we talked about good things, we were talking about material things. We were talking about simple good things. This (James) is talking about ALL good things. ALL good things are coming for you when your day of the Lord comes. Be patient; God has a plan; God’s children will receive ALL the true good things. Read chapter 41 and revel in patience.