Run with Patience

Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”

It is amazing to see the Bible doesn’t say, walk in patience, rather the Bible says, ‘’Run with Patience”. How do you run with patience? And What does running with patience mean?

Esther is one of the best examples for being patient and thereby she became God’s instrument to save the entire Jewish race. Haman, the king’s most noble prince, had received the king’s commandment to eradicate the whole Jewish race.

God used only Esther and Mordecai to save the entire Jewish race (thousands and thousands of them) from the world’s most mighty king during his time, his armies and the native people in his provinces. Esther and Mordecai were more than enough for God to save the Jews but only one thing was expected from Esther.

It was ‘patience’.

1. Vashti the former queen was thrown away from her royal state as she disobeyed the king’s command and Esther was chosen to be the queen. What did Esther do to become the queen? Esther Chapter 1 says the whole story and it doesn’t even mention the name of either Esther or Mordecai. GOD works in places you and I cannot work.
2. Esther was patient and waited until her time came to reveal her race to the King. ‘Patience’ is very important to reach our destiny in life. Mordecai had commanded Esther not to reveal that she was a Jew until the time came. The story records that Esther did not show her race for a very long time until the most important moment came for her to reveal it. This patience then became the very reason for everyone including Esther to be saved from slaughter.
   Obedience for God also includes us to remain patient and stop working and wait for God to act. Be careful not to miss what God has. Just be patient.
   What is being patient? Being patient is not being lazy or idle.
   Being patient is to be alert and wait in the Holy SPIRIT. It is to be still not sleep. Being still in the spirit is to wait carefully for the right time like an eater waiting for its opportune moment to catch its prey
3. Esther’s height of patience is seen in Chapter 5. After the King held the golden scepter, Esther to everyone’s surprise kept silent from making her request known to the king even after she clearly knew that she had favour in the eyes of the king even after she heard the king say that the king wouldn’t give her even half of his kingdom to her but rather Esther invites the King and Haman the enemy of the Jews for a meal. The greater surprise comes when the story unfolds to see Esther was patient and did not make her petition even when both the king and Haman came to meal at her place but invited them again for another meal the next day. It was only on that night after the meal at Esther’s place, the king could not sleep and finds that Mordecai was not honoured for his act of saving the king’s life. In that same night was when Haman prepared the gallows for Mordecai to be hanged. That was the night when God acted by taking sleep away from the King and putting a strange desire to bring a book to be read instead of any music played for a sound sleep. Esther made the best choice by being patient. Had Esther broken her patience and had said her petition, Mordecai was completely unknown to the king and the gallows were not ready for Haman to be hanged.

In patience, Esther and Mordecai saved the entire nation from destruction. Can you not? “Therefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,” Hebrews 12:1