Abraham
God wanted Abraham to learn patience when His promises seem to be slow in coming. God gave Abraham a son many years after His original promise and only when Abraham was 100 years old. As the years went, Abraham had to keep the faith that God will fulfill His promise when increasingly it became more difficult for him to have a son because of his wife’s old age.
(Heb 6:12-15 NIV) We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. {13} When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, {14} saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” {15} And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.
Noah
God told him to build and he believed and obeyed. It was 120 years from the time God gave the order to build until God sent the floodwaters. This was not going to be something quick. Noah needed patience. Patience to build. Patience to endure the criticism. Patience to preach the word of righteousness. (1Pet.3:30). Patience to believe God.
David
David was anointed as King of Israel by Samuel. Yet it was only after many years of hardship and suffering under Saul that he finally became king.
David trusted God to work in His own timing. When he had the chance to kill Saul, he did not because he did not want to take things into his own hands.
JOSEPH
Betrayed by his brothers. Sold and carried off to Egypt. Patiently worked his way to the top only to lose it all and wind up in prison – his only crime being he was too honest & decent a man. To wait on God for vindication. And after years reconciled with his brothers. That’s Patience! Joseph waited on God.
MOSES
40 years preparation in the desert. Sent to deliver God’s people only to meet resistance from Pharaoh. The patience to wait through each of the ten plagues. Then after the deliverance – to patiently put up with the grumbling & faithlessness of the children of Israel as they wandered in the wilderness. Yet Moses waited on God.
JOSHUA
Can you imagine how impatient folks must’ve gotten when they were circling the walls of Jericho? But not Joshua. Every day I can hear him say, “Let’s march” and “No, we don’t attack today, we march.” He waited on God to blow sound the horn and let up the shout.