Patience is a Virtue

"But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint."

(Isaiah 40: 31, NLT)

During the time I was leading a recovery support group, I purchased the Life Recovery Bible. It contains a lot of footnotes on various scriptures, as well as devotionals that go along with the 12-Step program. Even though you may not be in recovery, there is some valuable information that we all could use in our daily Christian living. Here is one of the devotionals that is in reference to Step 11 and the above verse in Isaiah:

"We all want to recover as quickly as possible. It's hard to be patient as we wait for the process to work. Sure, we realize that we didn't get to the difficult spot we are in overnight. We understand that we cannot undo a lifetime of damage in just a few moments. But, still it is a challenge to wait patiently. Every part of the recovery process requires time and patience. We must learn to wait on God.

Waiting on the Lord has its rewards. We can remain calm when it appears that we aren't making any progress in recovery. As we learn to trust the Lord and wait on him, He will lift us up like wind beneath the wings of an eagle. God gives us the strength and stamina to bear up under the strain so that we won't faint or collapse under it. As we develop patient faith in God, we will be able to endure to the end of the race---and win."