Patience in position

*Recap of*

*Be Inspired Intercessory Prayer and Testimony*

*Tuesday 6th August 2019*

*Anchored by Sister Leah Adepeju*

*Topic:* Patience in Position

The end of a matter is better than its beginning; Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit (pride).

ECCLESIASTES 7:8 AMP

https://bible.com/bible/1588/ecc.7.8.AMP

Okay can we share our understanding briefly on these two words?

*Patience*

*Position*
*@Okolo John:* Patience is like an enduring or endurance.
*Sis Rozey:* Patience is the ability or an act of waiting faithfully for a thing until it manifests the desired result.
*Sis Linda:* Position is taking a stand on issues.
*Sis Rozey:* Position is location of a thing at a particular point in time.
*Sis Ohla:* Postion is taking stand about things.

*Sis Leah:* Well done, all.
*Patience:* Capacity to tolerate delay. It is a virtue the Bible defines as forbearance or endurance.

*Position:* location of something or someone,
As defined above, Patience is a virtue of forbearance or endurance. It is also the capacity or capability or ability to tolerate delay.

Position is the location or stand of something.

Going into the Word, Ecclesiastes 7:8 says the end of a matter is better than its beginning. Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit, that is pride.
We all at some point must have had to exercise patience. Say for example you are dying to go to the toilet to do number two in a public toilet 🚽 and the queue is beyond your reasoning.
Say for example you have about 5 people in front of you queuing to use the same toilet but you are so pressed and if you laugh it will gladly drop into your knickers.
You will either have patience for the 5 people to go and prayerfully wish they are only doing number 1 and not number 2 so they can get out of the toilet especially if that is the only available one there.
Or the other option is to find a place where you can do the number two.
But the second option might not be as convenient as using a proper toilet so if you rush, you risk opening your bit for passers-by to look but when you are patient enough your posture while standing will be like the one that is posing for a photoshoot but with no camera man cause you will be tightening your glut (buttocks) muscles stylishly yet gently just because you are waiting.
I know this example might make us laugh but if you look at some situations in life, it tests your patience in whatever position you find yourself.
Would you rush ahead just because you so desire a change of position or would you just keep that position yet adjusting and improvising until the position is divinely changed?

Life can be unfair in some circumstances.
The saying goes thus that the patient dog eats the fattest bone; how true that is I do not know but it is just to let us know that what you wait for in the right position will be served to you on a comfortable platter.
Does it mean your position during your wait is comfortable? Nooooooo🤦🏽‍♀🥵
It can be something out of a horror movie, but how do you position yourself right as a believer?

Let us take the case of a little child who wants to eat for example and they keep coming to the kitchen calling mama food or papa I am hungry.
The adult responsible for them on the other hand knows where to get the food from or is making the food.
The necessary thing the adult will do is to take that child and put them where the food will be served.
But you know children when they are hungry they tend to keep going up and down and the adult just wants them seated in a place so they can eat comfortably.
But the child might be thinking this person isn't listening to me, they can even throw tantrums and start becoming unnecessarily irritating as they behave.
But as the responsible adult you will serve them the food when it is ready in the comfortable place at the best time in the right temperature.
That is similar to our position and the type of patience we need to exercise when God is finishing up things in our lives.
Sometimes the position we find ourselves might be really unbearable but God who knows all from the start is saying to us to stay there because He is just about to cause a change but if you lose focus on what He is saying or His instructions and feel like He has forgotten, you might take a step that will put you in a position that repositions your comfort that God is preparing for you.

I hope you are following.

The Bible says in Exodus 34:6: God is slow to anger and abundance in steadfast love and faithfulness.
God almighty is slow to anger, yes ...

Sometimes we are lacking patience because our position might rather become a pointer that people see as complacency in us whereas you aren't complacent, you are waiting on God to give you the go-ahead.

Often times in marriage or relationship when people hear Patience we automatically think of the lady but this might apply to the man  as much as the lady.
A man who never approved of the plans of God for his household will position them in a place that will take them away from God purposed comfort and same thing applies if a woman lacks such insight too.
Taking Samson for example.. He was born a Nazarene, chosen as God's vessel from the womb. There was a condition to his calling - his choice of wife must be in line with God.
But when Samson grew up he fell in love with the wrong woman.
Even after the first wife was burnt to death, did Samson stop his kind of taste for women? Nooo!
He went on into a set-up trap and fell in love with Delilah.
And the love totally repositioned him into an uncomfortable position and not only did he lose his power, he ended up losing his life and not fulfilling destiny.
His position was not that which portrayed patience in the calling God had given to Him and his taste for women against the will of God repositioned his destiny from being one of the greatest to a loser.
May we not reposition our destiny out of lack of patience in Jesus name.

Many times when God placed us in a position, it could be to head a place where there is so much strife or to serve in a place where there is so much injustice.
Does it mean God hates us? No.
He doesn't hate us. He literally wants to work our patience in that position.
And you know no position is permanentl
It's temporal; it's just for a set time.
But how do you handle the position you are in as a believer?
How do you compensate your position with a true virtue of Patience?
How do you acknowledge what God is saying when you cannot exercise Patience there?
How do you actually fulfill that purpose even when it looks like you are complacent before men but yet God is working things out for you?
It is by true forbearance.
Your tolerance in delay.
Your tolerance when you have to wait a while season yet the harvest seems like it isn't coming.
But, guess what? It is right with the last bash; you just need to stay put.
It is not possible to gain what you need to gain in one year in a day if God is not working divine speed for you.
But you know at times you could have waited for something and prayed for it for years and months and days and in a day, just like that, just because you trust God, just because you honour Him in your position, it all starts falling into pleasant places for you.
It feels like the book of rememberance in heaven is only opened to your name alone because your patience in that position had paid off.
It was not a waste.
Yes, you waited patiently in that position.

I want to encourage you this evening. I don't know the position right now. In fact, you have wept in the secret and in the open. In fact it is no longer making sense to ordinary men but God is saying to you: I am doing something.
God is saying to you: I will reposition you at the set time.
God is telling you: Just as the mother or father of the toddler throwing tantrums is repositioning them to the comfort place, do not keep going back there; stay where I have placed you.
God is saying: Do you not know what I can do?
But you are saying but it is getting dark.
Time is going.
I am getting tired.
I am frustrated.
I am depressed.
When will you do it, Lord?
Show me signs.
Let me know you are there.
And God says: Be patient.
Be patient.
Be patient.
In that position, I am at work still.
Be patient, I am not asleep.
I never sleep nor slumber.
And you are saying but this allegation is wearing me out. This whole thing is like a heavy load on my head, I cannot carry it again. I feel all crushed, broken and shattered; who do I turn to?
God says: Be patient.
Be patient.
It will all end in praise.
But you are saying: God, this is the third refusal.
But you are saying: God, another failure.
But you are saying: God, I have invested much in this. Why am I getting these remnants?
Be patient because your harvest is here.
Be patient, I am positioning you right even through your current position.
God is saying: Will you trust me in that position?
Will you be patient enough to let me reposition you?
I am the Lord your God, is anything difficult for me?
No, absolutely nothing, so trust me.

*Let us pray.*

Father, I thank you for your word this evening. Lord, thank you for speaking to me personally.
Lord, thank you for taking off this yoke that is causing me to think of walking away.
Lord, thank you for this current position because it is all turning around for my good in Jesus name.
Lord, concerning (mention), give me the patience that I need to see your power manifesting in Jesus name.
Lord, never let me position myself in a place that I will not experience you either physically, spiritually, or financially in Jesus name.

*Personal Prayer.*

Thank you father for answering my prayer in Jesus name.