The Missing Bedrock – Don’t Give Up!

We have all heard about faith, however without another very important factor we will struggle. So what is it?
James 1; 2-4
 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

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Did you notice the last verse? It reads “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing”. In others words, “patience” is  very important and it has a work. What is the work? To make us perfect and entire so we lack “nothing”. This simply means that “patience” is the bedrock to all spheres of our walk with the Lord. Wanting nothing, means exactly what it means “lacking nothing”. Which means that “patience” is an essential ingredient in our walk with the Lord.

Hebrews 10; 35 - 37 reads “ Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.  For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry”.

 Did you notice the above verse? After we have done the will of God, there is need of patience to receive the promise. In others words, a person needs patience in addition to what they have done to obtain the promises.

So what does patience look like?
James 5; 11 reads “ Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy”.

The above scripture tells us that job was patient. To state that Job was patient means that during his very difficult time, Job knew that God would come through for him, otherwise the bible would not have said that Job was patient. The scripture also states that “we call then happy which endure”, This is because the Lord always comes through.
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Job went through a very difficult time (Job 1).  Lets see what Job had at the beginning of the trial and how the Lord blessed him at the end.

Beginning	​During trial (Job 1;14-19)	​At the end (Job 42; 12-13)
​Children: 7 sons 3 daughters	None	​7 sons and 3 daughters
Sheep 7,000	None	14,000
Carmels 3000	None	6,000
Yoke of oxen 500	None	1,000
She assess 500	None	1,000

When we read above account  we must appreciate that there was a time lapse between Job 1 and Job 42.
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Job had lost all his children. In-between this, his friend came to try and talk to him. It took time for Job to be restored. Why  can this be assumed?

Simply because it takes time to have children. Remember that Job lost all his children. It would take time for his wife to get pregnant, go through pregnancy, bring forth  children and see them grow up again. We must all agree that that takes time. This is why the bible says “Ye have heard of the patience of Job”.

Job must have trusted the Lord for full restoration. And the Lord did restore Job. He had twice in sheep, carmels, oxen and she assess. It can take time to see a full restoration of what one has lost”. However the Lord is faithful and we must remember that this life is temporal.

Another account of patience can be found with Abraham. 

Hebrews 6; 12 – 15 “ That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.  For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.  And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
 
So what are you believing the Lord for? Just hang in there. Do everything the Lord instructs you to do, and be rest assured that pay day is coming. The Lord is faithful!

​Bisi Oladipupo