Biblical definition of Patience:
Psalm 27:14 Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.
Character Study:
Noah – Genesis 5:28-10:32; 1 Chronicles 1:3, 4; Isaiah 54:9; Ezekiel 14:14, 20; Matthew 24:37, 38; Luke 3:36; 17:26, 27; Hebrews 11:7; 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5
Noah is known as the first major shipbuilder and his for obedience. Genesis 6:22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.
Noah is known for his:
Patience:
In Genesis 6:9 – 7:24, God spoke to Noah saying that He was going to put an end to all people and destroy both them and the earth. God gives Noah specific instructions to build an ark for him and his family. He also had to take two of every kind of bird, every kind of animal and every kind of creature, male and female; these were to be kept alive. (Genesis 5:19, 20)
In Genesis 8:1-16 we read that God remembered Noah and the animals with him in the ark. God sent a wind to blow across the earth and the waters receded.
Three times Noah sent a bird – first a raven and then twice a dove – to test and see whether the earth was dry enough to get out of the ark. He waited for God. In vv15 and 16, God permits Noah to leave the ark with his family and to release all the animals; the birds, livestock and small animals that scurry along the ground.
Faith:
Hebrews 11:7 It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who had warned him about things that had never happened before. We don’t read that Noah doubted or asked questions about why he had to build an ark. By his faith, Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes with faith.
Obedience:
Genesis 6:22 and 7:5 both state that Noah did everything that God commanded. It is interesting to see that not once did Noah question God. He did everything God told him to do; he did not just listen but obeyed.
Righteousness:
In Genesis 6:5 God saw how great the human race’s wickedness on the earth had become and the LORD was grieved that He had made them. Only Noah was righteous and blameless before God
2 Peter 2:5 accredits Noah as a preacher of righteousness.
Weakness:
Genesis 9:20-23 we read that Noah got drunk and embarrassed himself in front of his sons. This shows us that even godly people can sin.
What the Bible teaches us about patience:
Old Testament:
Genesis 12:7; 13:14-16; 15:4, 5 and 18; 17:16 In these verses we see God had promised Abraham on several occasions that his descendants will receive the land God was showing him. His wife Sarah would become the mother of many nations.
In Job 1:1-2:13 we read that Job was a wealthy man of upright character who loved God. When God allows Satan to destroy his flocks, his possessions, his children and his health, Job refuses to give up on God even though he did not understand why this was happening.
Psalm 37:7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. This verse is self-explanatory. There are times when we wonder why God does not answer our prayers; when it is a case of “Easier said than done.” We can be assured God will answer our prayers in His time.
Psalm 40:1-3 tells us that at times, for us to do God’s will, we need to wait patiently. God hears our cries of despair, lifting us up out of the mud and mire, setting our feet on solid ground and giving us a new song to sing.
Ecclesiastes 7:8 The end of the matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better that pride. So many times we start a project without a vision. For us to finish our vision takes hard work, patience, wisdom and self-discipline.
New Testament:
Romans 12:9-21 Paul gives the Romans instructions on loving each other.
Ephesians 4:2 To the church in Ephesus he writes that they are to be humble, gentle, patient and loving towards one another. As Christians, it is our responsibility to love our fellow believers “warts and all.”
Titus 2:1-15 Right living in the church – The church is made up of people from all walks of life. In this passage, Paul counsels Titus on how to help the various groups of people i.e. older men must be sound in faith, in love and in patience; older women are to live in a way that honours God and also train the younger women to love their husbands and their children.
The passage of James 5:7-12 is about “Patience and Endurance.”
In the same way, as a farmer waits patiently for his crops to grow, so it should also be with Christians – to live by faith looking toward the future reward for their labours.
Examples of impatience:
Numbers 20:1-13 – Moses Strikes the Rock
2 Kings 5:1-19 – Naaman healed of Leprosy
Jonah 4:1-11 – Jonah’s Anger at the LORD’S Compassion
Matthew 18:21-35 – The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
Luke 9:51-56 – Samaritan Opposition
Application:
It is said that: “Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.” When we think of patience the word “waiting” comes to mind. We seem to be always “waiting.” Waiting for our spouse to change, waiting for the children to grow up, waiting in a queue at the supermarket or waiting for our prayers to be answered.
1) God says that waiting is good for us because it produces patience in us. In Galatians 5:22 the Apostle Paul lists patience as one of the fruits of the Spirit.
2) Apart from the fruit of the Spirit it says in Colossians 3:12 that as the elect of God, holy and beloved we need to clothe ourselves with amongst others, patience.
3) 1 Thessalonians 5:14 urges us to help the weak and to be patient with everyone.
4) We read in 1 Corinthians 13:4 that Love is patient. Take time to reflect on how many times God has told you to do something i.e. show love to someone unlovable and you did not do it. God’s patience towards us is greater than our patience towards our spouse, children or maybe someone at work, school or church!
5) Patience is required when we pray for loved ones to be saved or for them not to just know about Jesus but to also have a personal relationship with Him.
Conclusion:
Psalm 27:13 I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. v14 Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.
Responding in Prayer
Read Psalm 40:1-17 – Learning to wait on the LORD
Pray for your loved ones that do not have a personal relationship with the Lord. Ask in the name of Jesus that the Holy Spirit will give them a yearning in their hearts to come in faith to God for salvation. Praise and thank the Lord that you can bring them to Him. Daily thank the Lord for His Amazing Grace that saved you out of “a pit of despair” so that you can do as it says in Psalm 40:3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.
(All Scriptures are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise stipulated)
Journal – Scripture/Prayer/Thoughts: