Patience ! Endurance ! Why can't I have it now ??

By your patience possess your souls ( Luke 21:19 - NKJV )

Why do we hate waiting? Is it not our rights to have what we deem most important at the moment we perceive the need? The bears in the photo have learned through patience and endurance that the salmon will come to them. The salmon are swimming up stream. The bears do not have to leap off the edge to grab their desires. They have learned to stay in the zone and wait because their desires are coming to them !

The full passage in Luke 21 deals with persescutions and signs of a wicked generation. How would Christ Followers deal with all that which is to come against the believer? Jesus promises them that he would meet their needs in order to stand strong in such times. The simple verse: "In your patience possess ye your souls." is his answer.

Now there are times I feel possessed, rather than possessing my self. Possessed, driven, grabbing for that which I think I desire the most. Here in the midst of what seems to be total destruction, chaos, fear, etc. Jesus would dare say: "In your patience possess ye your souls."?

Patience is the Greek word hypomone which is a compound word made up of two other words: hypo (a preposition meaning 'under') and moneo (a verb meaning to 'remain' or 'abide'). Thus, the idea is to 'remain under' or 'abide under' difficult circumstances - as when it is not possible to escape or avoid them.

To me the most difficult circumstance is my own desire to get an immediate answer. Since I wish to solve whatever it is that I am dealing with, I do not wish to wait. James 1:4 "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."

The word enduring or endurance is the more proper translation in our English language for the word patience. It basically means to stay the course. Let whatever is going on finish its course. In other words, if you are not willing to allow God to teach you how wait on his course of action, then you will make choices that cause you to lose your soul's ability to cope. Your soul being the mind, will , and emotions that drive you. So if patience, endurance is left out, then you will be unable to receive what God has planned for you. If we could simply grasp hold of the concept that God has the way for us, we would certainly find ourselves possessing our souls through patiently waiting on Him.

Isaiah 40:31 "But they that wait( hebrew is the idea of anticipation) upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

Perhaps we need to learn that if we have enduring anticipation and that our Father knows what is best, we would learn to stay in the zone God has planned for us and possess our souls ( mind, emotion, and will ) , we need to learn not to move till His answer and provision arrive right in front of us!!