How To Truly Receive From God - 1 (PATIENCE)

Activity: Sunday Sermon

Anchor Scripture: Psalm 40:1-10

Scripture References: 1 Sam. 13:1-14, Rom. 5:3-4; 8:25, 1 Tim. 6:11-12, Hebrews 6:12, James 1:3-4, James 5:11, 2 Pet. 1:6.

Introduction
Human life is full of cravings. For that reason, we ask, ask and ask at all times. Most of us are often like little children who don't always remember to appreciate past good gestures, but are more concerned about our pending requests and imminent ones.

I am afraid, brethren, that most of us bear no clear-cut difference from our stomachs in that stomachs don't often remember what they have received, but are usually more concerned about the next material coming in.

Like stomachs when hungry, most of us lack patience to receive the appropriate things, and in good and appropriate manner and measures. By this ravenous attitude, if not for God's mercy, many a Christian would have become preys in the hand of the  workers of iniquities. And many indeed, have, by their ravenous gluttony, deserted their faiths, and have lost the hope of eternity. I pray God will help us all in Jesus Name. Amen.

Message
God is a giver, no doubt! God is a giver, but definitely not a Santa Claus, popularly known as  'father Christmas.' The Bible, in John 3:27, remarks that ". . . A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven." The book of Acts of Apostles 17: 24- 25 also maintains that  "God that made the world and all things therein, . . . seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;" In actual sense of it all, God, who gives things to those that are even rebellious towards Him (Mat. 5:45), wouldn't He want better things for His Own children? Definitely! No doubt about that (3 John 1:2) However, our problems lie in learning and knowing how to truly receive from God.

God warned through the Apostle Paul thus: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."  2 Timothy 4:3-4. Brethren, this prophecy has come to pass and will continue to PAS's as long as the second coming of Jesus Christ is delayed.

I read an admonition written by a revered man of God teaching that one of the ways by which we could quickly receive anything from God is by being desperate, and even in the process, break protocols and inconvenient other people. I told the senior friend who sends me the teachings everyday that that was a very unfortunate teaching because it is wrong and because it came from somebody highly respected worldwide in Christendom. We shall cone back to that in due course in the series. The point being made here is that, today, many teachings are outside there, and obviously from the Bible, but has been doctored, and the truth, turned upside down. The burning question however is: has God changed from Whom He was? The book of Hebrews 13:8 says, NO!

I want to seriously believe that aside those that walk uprightly, the next people in line who have the ears and attention of God are those who are PATIENT or have learnt to be PATIENT with Him. Contrary to the "desperate teaching" I mentioned above, God delights in people who can patiently wait for Him, for His  APPOINTED TIME. Read Psalm 40:1 again, please.

In fact, waiting patiently for God is synonymous to being righteous because Hebrews 10:36 admonishes thus: "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise." Can you hear that? That Scripture says that even doing the Will of God is not enough for us to receive God's promises. We still need to be patient! The book of Isaiah 28:16 corroborates this position for it says, "Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste."  That foundation stone, brethren is, indisputably, Jesus Christ. And the book of Philippians 2:5 admonishes saying, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:"  So, how do we justify being His disciples when we become hasty at all times and about everything, and unable to have His kind of mind, nor wait for Him?

Before God rejected King Saul, desperation was his first shortcoming. He could no longer wait for the Prophet of God, Samuel, to come and perform the sacrifice. He then took it upon himself to offer the sacrifice unto God. Hardly had he finished his stupid action than Samuel came to Mount Bethel. That was how his calamities began (1 Sam. 13: 1-14). Adonijah and Absalom, the two, sons of King David, are another examples. Their desperation, equally earned them untimely deaths. Joshua and Caleb were never in  haste. They, unlike Dothan Koran and Abiram, and unlike Aaron and Miriam,  waited patiently for God and fulfilled their destinies.

In fact, from Isaiah 28:16 quoted above, desperation is an unrighteous act depicting a terrible lack or loss of faith before, and in God.

My journey alongside my Senior Teacher through the Holy Scripture shows that only the things that were received after a long wait lasts, lasts and last, even unto eternity. Abraham received his promised son, Isaac, after twenty-five years the promise was given. Through that act of penitent patience, the world became blessed and rescued from the wrath of God scheduled for the last day. Samuel, the infallible Prophet in Israel came to the scene after a patient waiting on God for several years by his mother, Hannah, to the extent that her rival, Penninah, gave birth to seven children before Samuel's birth. David was anointed at age seventeen, he never became King until he was thirty. He waited for God, even in great afflictions and tribulations. We can go on and on of how people waited patiently for God for many things, and they all received.

As I close this first series, the Bible, in Roman 15:5 calls God, "the God of patience." So, if our God be the God of patience, what manner of His people should we be? Should we emulate Him, or should we follow the millennia preachers who make us believe that desperation is the key that unlocks God's blessings? May God help us and give us individually, a heart that obeys in Jesus Christ's Name.

Conclusion
God established it in Ecclesiastes 3:1 that "there is a time for everything under the sun." Prophet Habbakuk under the influence of the Holy Spirit, wrote thus: "For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry."

Brethren, the surest way to get the promises of God is by being patient; by waiting for Him for His APPOINTED TIME.

Patience is a great Christian-virtue we should not allow to slip through our fingers; even though it is fast disappearing amongst us today because of civilization and covetousness. From Bible stories of people, no one who lacks patience should boast of having FAITH because faith, requires perseverance (Hebrews 11:1), which itself is an offshoot of PATIENCE.

Till we meet again if He tarried, keep keeping on in Him!

God bless you!