I am taking note that there is patience involved in following and trusting God. There is this content that I am learning because I understand that God does do things on a different time scale than what I am hoping or expecting for. He does things little by little sometimes.

I will not drive them out within a year’s time; if I did, the land would become deserted, and the wild animals would be too many for you. Instead, I will drive them out little by little, until there are enough of you to take possession of the land. – Exodus 23:29-30 GNT

As I am trusting Him, and I should note, patiently trusting Him, I am also not wanting to lose my sense of urgency. Life is short and I want to make mine count. The learning to be content comes as I obey God. Patience is critical as I come to a place where I know God is at work even though I may not see it.

I picture obedience the same way Mary primed us on prayer.

Jesus’ mother then told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” – John 2:5 GNT

She knew to whom to go, she knew what to say (briefly, simply and focused on describing the need). What makes me smile is that she knew what to do next and that was to be prepared for the answer and get ready to do what He said needed to be done.

In the description of Leviathan found in chapter forty-one of Job, I captured one of the first sentences describing its character.

Will he beg you to let him go?
    Will he plead with you for mercy? – Job 41:3 GNT

He will not plead for mercy because he is too proud to do so. In order to have patience, I also believe I need humility. While Leviathan thinks he is great, my time before God, in the spirit of humility, places God in authority over me. God is my creator, ruler and He is sovereign, one to be reverenced and feared. He is my ultimate help. Without humility I will find myself pushing patience aside and striving to work out things on my own.

 

For these things, therefore, it becomes us to pray: if we have them, that we may keep them; if we have them not, that we may get them.

Is this all? Are these the benefits in which exclusively the happy life is found? Or does truth teach us that something else is to be preferred to them all? We know that both the competency of things necessary, and the well-being of ourselves and of our friends, so long as these concern this present world alone, are to be cast aside as dross in comparison with the obtaining of eternal life; for although the body may be in health, the mind cannot be regarded as sound which does not prefer eternal to temporal things; yea, the life which we live in time is wasted, if it be not spent in obtaining that by which we may be worthy of eternal life. Therefore all things which are the objects of useful and becoming desire are unquestionably to be viewed with reference to that one life which is lived with God, and is derived from Him. In so doing, we love ourselves if we love God; and we truly love our neighbours as ourselves, according to the second great commandment, if, so far as is in our power, we persuade them to a similar love of God. We love God, therefore, for what He is in Himself, and ourselves and our neighbours for His sake. Even when living thus, let us not think that we are securely established in that happy life, as if there was nothing more for which we should still pray. For how could we be said to live a happy life now, while that which alone is the object of a well-directed life is still wanting to us? – Augustine