I apologize right away. Last week I wrote on patience and apparently that wasn’t enough. The Lord has continued to work on me about it, so I will continue to share my suffering through the lesson God is dragging me, er, carrying me through. You can thank my dog for today’s illustration, and my husband for pointing it out, so the continued lesson is a family affair. 

Last time we visited Patience the lesson, in a nutshell, was this: Wait on the Lord in everything with TRUST in Him. He WILL be our constant presence, strength, and sustenance to walk to and through each adventure.

Today’s visit with our friend, Patience, deals with our posture during the patience process. We should be focused intently on Jesus, with the posture of expectant anticipation!

Cubbie, my dog, can tell time, but sometimes she operates a little ahead of schedule (she is my husband’s dog in this way, as I don’t believe I have EVER been ahead of schedule. 😉) This girl is incredibly patient when waiting for mealtime. She waits with a smile on her face (see picture), a gaze into your eyes that is so intense it can be unnerving, and a hair-trigger readiness that if I even flinch, she begins to dance toward her bowl. 

This readiness is what strikes my husband and I. She is so focused on and in tune with us, that any movement from us initiates immediate action and movement toward what she knows will fill her soul (really her belly, but for a dog, it’s almost the same thing). 

She knows where we are going because of our faithfulness in feeding her. Do you see where I am headed with this?

This week, Cubbie was exhibiting her intense patience, however, she started actively waiting an hour and forty-five minutes early. Despite the long lead time, she never wavered in the wait but rather kept a vigilant stance of readiness. Why? Because we had been faithful in the past to provide what she needed. She trusted it would happen again.

Why should we wait patiently on Jesus? Because we trust Him to provide what we need. Why can we trust Him? Because He is faithful! He has a tremendous record of getting us through our every circumstance! It may not go the way we want, but when we totally trust Him with expectant anticipation, we exercise FAITH that He will provide ENOUGH to nourish our soul! We are talking about nourishment that satisfies in an incomprehensible way. 

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” John 6:35

Trust allows me to wait patiently. His faithfulness to satisfy with His perfect provision is what should incentivize me to have expectant anticipation. My intense focus on Him should let me know when He is on the move.

Thanks for the lesson, Cubbie-girl!