Patience, as a virtue, is a major seal to bringing the will of God to perfection in any situation. The flood was forty days upon the earth. “And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth” (Genesis 7:17).
This was the process of destroying the entire humanity, leaving only Noah’s family alive in the ark. At one time or the other, God wants to embark on causing major changes in our lives, but requires us to exercise patience before, during and after the process. These seasons are not usually presented the way we want them to be, but God has a reason for making them that way. It is usually meant to toughen us, preparing us for greater platforms to proclaim His glory.
For forty days, being confined within an ark that was not built by professionals, but by a 500 year old unprofessional, like Noah and his boys could be very uninteresting and boring. Coupled with that, Genesis 8:4 stated that “And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.”
At that point, it became a great discovery for me that Noah was chosen by grace because God knew that Noah was blessed with the virtue of patience and that was one of the reasons Noah found grace in the sight of God. Presumably, the waters
were abating from the earth and after patiently waiting, Noah sent out a dove to check if there was a dry land, but the dove came back after a short time. Patiently waiting for seven more days, he sent the dove out again and the dove brought back an olive with branch, a sign that the waters were drying up. But finally, after another seven days, the dove did not return. It then became so evident that it was time to get off the ark. “And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more” (Genesis 8:12).
The fulfilment of God’s covenant of life and blessings for man is hidden in the virtue of patience. After staying in the ark for that long, Noah demonstrated the height of patience by waiting for twenty one days after the waters were abated off the earth and this actually activated the promise and plans of God upon him and his family.
“And God spake unto Noah, saying, Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with thee. Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth” (Genesis 8:15-17).
A great reward awaits a life that patiently seeks the face of God on any matter. The above episode of Noah’s waiting period in his walk with God is an extremely exemplary one that every believer should emulate. I have been personally challenged with this virtue of patience, because that is what our faith works with. “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience” (James 1:3). In other words, faith and patience work together, one relying on the other for the materialisation of the plan of God in a man’s life. Even with the complexities of activities in the 21st century and the dramatic fall, coupled with the decline in the attitude of patience in all facets of life, the standard of God still remains the same and requires patience. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 2:19 “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his…”
