How good are you at waiting? Some people have enough patience that they can sit for over five minutes without pulling out their phone to pass the time. Others can wait for the elevator to arrive after pressing the button only once. There are even those who can wait for the microwave to beep before opening the door. These kind of people are rare, because most of us are not good at waiting. We get impatient while driving, sitting in church, listening to our kids, working at our jobs, ordering our food, or just about any other situation in life that causes inconvenience to us. Is there a remedy for this universal malady?
One possible solution is to examine the attitude and actions of people in the Bible who exemplified patience. Jacob worked for fourteen years for Rachel. Abraham and Sarah anticipated the birth of their promised son for twenty-five years. Joseph endured for over a decade before his vision of the wheat and the stars was fulfilled. Daniel and Jeremiah knew the exile would end after seventy years, but did not know whether they would see it or not. When we look at each of these examples, we see the ups and downs in their life as they learn to wait for God’s promises to be fulfilled. They did not immediately have patience, but they diligently learned to wait. Some of these individuals knew what they were waiting for while others just trusted in God regardless of what would come.
We too must be patient in the same way. There are some things we know for a fact, like we can be in heaven with God; while there are other unknowns, like when our time will end on earth. A quick search through the Scriptures reveals God’s expectation for his people to be patient. Consider a few verses that teach the importance of patience: James 5:10; 1 Peter 2:20; 2 Timothy 4:2; Colossians 3:12; Galatians 5:22. We have the command.
Billy Camp
Billy grew up at the Decatur Highway congregation in Birmingham, Alabama. After graduating from high school, he moved to Montgomery to attend Faulkner University. In 2012, he graduated from Faulkner with an undergraduate degree in Biblical text. He then went on to complete his Master’s degree in New Testament Studies at Faulkner and his Ph.D. from Liberty University in Christian Apologetics. In addition to serving with our family ministry and preaching, Billy also teaches in the Bible department at Faulkner University.
Billy is married to the former Shelby Vega and they have three children: Kinley, Roman, and Lewis. He works with the Family Ministry at Dalraida and also preaches and teaches classes regularly.