0857. Serving with Patience

Serving with Patience

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not" (Gal_6:9).

There are many who enter into the Lord's work with a spurt, but end with a spasm. They are effervescent. They work for a while but soon they get weary and give up. They permit discouragement to grip their soul. Let us notice a few examples of those who served with patience and long endurance.

1. Gideon. Jdg_8:4 : "And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them."

Here is a beautiful picture. Gideon at first was afraid, but God assured him. He fired Gideon with faith. Gideon had started out with thirty-two thousand men; but all those whom the Lord knew would falter in the way were returned to their homes, until, after two severe testings, Gideon had but three hundred men left. With these and with the Lord, he went forth to battle against the Midianites. He passed over the Jordan and his men were faint. They were not wearied of their marching, but they were wearied in it. But Gideon and his three hundred men, though they were refused bread by the men of Succoth, did not falter. They were faint, yet pursuing.

2. Peter. Luk_5:5 : "And Simon answering said unto Him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at Thy Word I will let down the net."

The disciples had been in the boat on the sea all night and they were not having a play party; they were toiling, and they had caught nothing. The Lord Jesus met them and gave command that they should cast in their nets for a draft. They said something like this: "Lord, we are tired. All night long we have been at the oars and at the nets and there are no fish to be found. Nevertheless at Thy Word we will let down the net."

Here is a lesson for us. We, too, may have been fishing for men and caught nothing and the opportune time, as we see it, may have passed; but the Lord still gives command, "Cast in the nets," and if we fail Him not, we too shall catch fish.

3. Paul. Act_26:22 : "And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them."

The Apostle Paul had undergone many a severe testing time. He had suffered as few men have suffered. Obstacles had arisen such as few men have experienced, but the Apostle Paul never gave up. He pressed on in the fight, and after years of service in which he had made three missionary journeys in a wide area, through many lands, he said: "Having obtained help of God, I continue unto this day."

4. King Joash. 2Ki_13:14 : "Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father! the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof."

The man who puts his hand to the plow and turns back is not fit for the Kingdom of God. There are some who run well for a season, but soon they lag behind. There are some who undertake too little for the Lord. May we give one example of a man who served, but not with patient endurance?

It was King Joash.

Israel was being overwhelmed by Syria. Elisha had fallen sick of the sickness whereof he died. Joash had come down unto Elisha and had wept, as he said: "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof." Elisha knew that Joash felt that he could not meet Syria with Elisha dead. He needed both Elisha and Elisha's God. So Elisha told him to take bow and arrows, and he took them. Then the Prophet commanded the king to open the window eastward, and he opened it. Then Elisha said, "Shoot," and he shot. And he said, "The arrow of the Lord's deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria."

2Ki_13:18 and 2Ki_13:19 : "And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice."

It is too bad that Joash only smote thrice and stayed. And yet, he is the picture of many a preacher and many a Christian worker. We start in our service but we soon give up. We get a victory here and a victory there, and just when God is about to open up the windows of Heaven and pour us out a blessing such as we have never known, we take down our flag and we give up the fight.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR