“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Romans 12:12
Because of erosion, the historic Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was in peril of washing into the Atlantic Ocean. So Congress appropriated $12 million for the National Park service to move it 2900 feet to safety.
With a combination of care, expertise, patience and raw power, The Expert House Movers of Sharptown, Maryland moved the 208 foot tall, 9.7 million pound structure to its current home. The option of moving the lighthouse was first proposed in April of 1982, but the light wasn’t lit at its new location until November 13, 1999. 17 years of study and 23 days of moving later. Why did it take so long?
Because big moves take time. So often we want God to make huge sweeping changes in our lives overnight. What God is sometimes doing is making changes inch by inch over time. The result will come... and God knows where the best place for us to end up is (and the best time for us to get there). We just have to stay patient and allow Him to work in our lives.
Other times, we put God on our timetable and feel like He’s taking forever to do anything.
“God, I’ve been praying for this for three weeks... two years.... 15 years... and nothing’s happened yet!”
Found yourself saying these things? I have. But sometimes, the change you are looking for in the situation is actually a change that is happening in you. God knows what’s best for us. Sometimes it isn’t what we are asking Him for. We would be better served allowing the trial to make us stronger and more patient for future challenges.
We pray...
When the answer is “yes” we tend to be happy with God.
When the answer is “no” we tend to be angry with God.
When the answer is “wait” we tend to try to hurry God.
Or maybe worse... we try to take God out of the equation completely. Why wait? When we get impatient we follow bad advice, do things we wouldn’t normally do, and begin to doubt that God knows what He is doing.
If you find yourself challenged in the area of patience, remember... God knows how what you are asking Him to do ends up. He knows what’s best for you and the exact right way to put everything into motion.
Resist the urge to put your faith in a microwave... we can’t speed up God. His actions in your life will be purposeful, complete, and done at the perfect time... stay patient and wait... I’ll be praying for you as you do.
