TOPIC: CONFIDENCE AND PATIENCE PRODUCES REWARD
Bible Reading: Ezekiel 7-9; Hebrews 10:24-39
“Cast not away therefore your confidence, which have great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise” Hebrews 10:35-36 (KJV)
Our focal scriptural verses of today elaborates on some very important Christian keywords, namely, Confidence, Reward, Patience and Promise. The promises of God abound in the scriptures. These promises are predicated on our faith and believe in the word of God and it carries the power of transformation. However, the manifestation of these promises when acted on by faith may not necessarily take place immediately but over a certain length of time which in our scripture of the day is referred to as patience or ‘need of patience’. We can further buttress our analysis of the place of patience in our faith and believe system in the efficacy of God’s word with Genesis 8:22(KJV) where the bible says “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease” between planting seed and harvest there is time, that time is the need of patience before harvest. The promises of God to man is divine and carries the power of manifestation in transforming man from human nature to divine nature, the period of such gestation is patience.
Everything God created follows this principle called patience. One of the promises of God as enunciated in 2 Peter 1:4(KJV) about our transformation to divine nature states, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust”. Even after you have eaten the word of God there is a time for spiritual maturity that births sonship in us. Concerning Jesus Christ, the scriptures says Isaiah 9:6a(KJV), “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…” A child is born but it is a son that is given. The period between being born as a child and given as a son is period of waiting unto maturity.
Concerning Jesus, the bible says “And the child grew, waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him” Luke 2:40(KJV). The child grew and the son matured through the waiting period to maturity. Our strong and well developed faith in God’s word provides us with the waiting grace which is patience, which will consequently give birth to our reward being the manifestation of His promise to us.
Most times people confuse faith as immediate manifestation of divine promise, it is not always so. For every promotion there must be a test or an examination. Our faith will be tried and we must pass our test to qualify for the true manifestation of the promises of God. The trial of our faith takes place in the waiting period which is referred to in our focal scripture as patience. The period of escaping the corruption that is in the word through lust is the period of our patience waiting for His promises to come to pass and is also the period when our faith is tried to move us to the next level in our spiritual journey. ”Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him”. James 1:12(KJV).
Again, talking about the trial of our faith 1 Peter 1:7(KJV) says, “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”. When we truly surrender to the leading of the Holy Spirit the waiting period and trials are lightened. The entrance of the Holy Spirit into our life is subject to our acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. It is on this note that I request you the reader of this devotional to urgently surrender your entire being to Him.
Prayer Point: Please take out time to consider your ways and consider whether you are truly born again. If not take urgent and immediate step confess your sins, ask for His mercy and hand over your life to Him.
Pastor Joel Ezeugo