Be Patient

Heb 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
Heb 10:37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
Heb 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Heb 10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

God has promised us so many things, among them heaven, reward, rest.

But, in our suffering, our setbacks and our subsequent impatience, we give up. Giving up usually amounts to losing faith in the One Who promised. Though we would never admit our unbelief, we evidence it by our living. We live as if this were the only life. That there is not a better one to follow, of which the present one is only preparation.

We exist in an instant society where we want to reap what we have sown the same day. Even nature teaches that a season must pass before the harvest. In the meantime, watering and cultivation are needed.

The verses here tell us, "For yet a little while..." It takes some perspective to understand that a little while to God and to us can mean very different things. The author of Hebrews had already gained a heavenly perspective through an "out of body" experience. I am referring to Paul's stoning which allowed him to be caught up to heaven for a time. Imagine if you were allowed to see the glory that awaits the believer. If you could pass through the gates of pearl, walk the street of gold, behold such glorious and holy sights that you would feel it improper to even mention it all, could you implore believers to be patient? Could you serve God with a boldness as Paul did without fear of death because you knew what awaited? I think so. And, wouldn't you feel that any amount of earthly suffering was inconsequential in comparison to future glory?

Perhaps you could pen words such as, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Rom 8:8.

Hebrews 10:36 and 37 make sense when you consider that the author had already witnessed much of the promise.

So, be patient. Let your faith remain strong. Keep on keeping on. Serve the Lord with gladness and don't succumb to the temptation to draw back from the promises of God.