By Bro. Philip Largas
Reading for the day: Luke 2:22-38
It is often said that patience is a virtue. It is. But oftentimes that virtue isn’t always what we want at the moment.
In our fast paced lifestyle and the busyness of our schedules, we realize time does not wait for us. That is why when we are stuck on the Don Valley Parkway during rush hour, or when our Tim Hortons order was wrong, we sometimes get a little irritated. We do not like the feeling of wasting time!
How we all wish that we can just slow down or freeze time! But time just keeps on moving. Time does not stop for anyone. And if there is one thing that we can never get back, it’s time!
Does this mean that being patient is simply wishful thinking?
The story of Simeon and Anna is a reminder of that very virtue of patience in waiting for God’s timing. Their brief yet significant appearance in Luke serves as a lesson for us all.
“…he was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him”
“..She never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying”
For Simeon, he was waiting all his life for the consolation of Israel, spending his days as a priest in the temple. Perhaps he felt death was creeping at his door, which would be a great test of patience (Luke 2:26).
Yet his patience indeed paid off as he was able to see what he was patiently waiting for in the person of Christ!
For Anna, the widow who never gave up worshiping and awaiting the Messiah for decades, was able to bear witness to Him in the twilight years of her life. Widows are seen to be pitied in the ancient days but her patience in worshipping and not giving up set her apart from the rest.
These two individuals have spent their entire adult life anticipating their blessed hope. One can only imagine the unwritten pains and perils of life’s experience while their time was ticking.
In our lives, it may feel that time is moving too fast and we have to try to outrun the hands of time. We have deadlines at work. We want to make full use of our prime in life. Some of us want to find the love of our life. Some of us want to land our dream job. Some of us see our children are growing up way too fast. Life is swiftly fleeting!
How can we be patient? When we trust in the timing of God! We can only truly be patient if we understand God is in control of our limited time and He is the best planner!
We can only truly be patient if we understand God is in control of our limited time and He is the best planner!
Yes, time is a commodity we have very little of but in trusting in God’s timing, we can understand that even in that little time we have, God can make it worth it! We simply need to trust and cling to Him! (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
We can see this kind of trust in God’s timing from our late Apostle Arsenio Tan Ferriol; he was given the revelation that we are in the 4th Watch – a very short time frame before Christ will return, yet he patiently sowed and planted churches for the last 50 years – and God took him home earlier this year to reward him for his patient labouring.
In this new era, God raised Apostle Jonathan, who despite being a man who works swiftly and efficiently, is exemplifying patience when it comes to molding the church in the apostolic ways that was set by his father, Apostle Arsenio Tan Ferriol.
For some of you reading this you have been patiently serving the Lord since you were a child. For others, perhaps you’ve only started your journey in watching for Christ’s return. But rest assured that in the 4th Watch, God’s timing will be proven perfect as we will see Christ face to face in rapture!
Take heart and trust God’s timing because God proves himself right in the end.
Reflection: When has your patience been tested? How has God helped you remain patient?
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