“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;” (Ps. 37:7)
I suppose we have all been confronted with impossible situations. In such circumstances, patience is not a commodity one can purchase but only choose to experience; Scripture defines it as a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5) which manifests in the crucible of affliction most noticeably when we allow God to take full control. It is a consequence of resting in the certainty that He makes all things beautiful in His perfect timings.
God guided the Israelites through the wilderness along a circuitous route that eventually led to Canaan, but it took 40 years. The Israelites were ill equipped although they seemed unaware of it. God needed to shape their lives to expose their shortcomings and train them in His ways. It was through various defining moments that they slowly and painfully discovered their identity as His covenant people.
Are you tempted to reject God’s ability to transform an impossible situation? The Hassidic rebbe, Menachem M. Schneerson, observed: “God can do anything! He could even fit an elephant through the eye of a needle. So, how would He do it? Would He make the elephant smaller or expand the eye of the needle? Neither. The elephant would remain big, the eye of the needle small and He would fit the elephant through the eye of the needle. Illogical? True, but logic is just another of His creations. He who created logic is permitted to disregard it.” The idea of an elephant going through the eye of a needle was a common metaphor for something insurmountable.
If God is so lovingly patient with us why do we so often find it hard to reciprocate? Frequently, it is only when all our human resources have evaporated that we turn to Him for His provision and strength to enlarge our boundaries. But, the words of the Psalmist reflects a confident declaration that can also be ours: “I waited and waited and waited some more, patiently, knowing God would come through for me. Then, at last, he bent down and listened to my cry. He stooped down to lift me out of danger from the desolate pit I was in, out of the muddy mess I had fallen into. Now he’s lifted me up into a firm, secure place and steadied me while I walk along his ascending path.” (Ps. 40:1-2)
Raphael ben Levi
