For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. Hebrews 10:36
Since our God is the creator of all things and He has all power and authority, it would seem as if His children would have no need of anything. Yet, here we see something that the Lord is telling us we need; endurance. There are many great and precious promises contained in the Word of God and it is your Father’s pleasure to give you good gifts. So, if that is the case, what is He waiting for? Why doesn’t He give you everything He has promised right now?
The Lord sent Moses to deliver His people from the hand of Pharaoh and He brought them out in grand fashion, parting the waters and all. Then, within a few days, they came to Marah, which means bitter and there was no water to drink because the water was, literally, bitter. If you are thinking that the Lord could have seen to it that His people had fresh, pure water to drink all along the way of their journey then you would be right.
The same God who parted the waters of the Red Sea could surely provide drinking water for His people. But, once again, the Lord is more interested in what they really needed more than just what they wanted. They wanted water at that moment but they needed endurance. There was a lesson in faith and faithfulness and thankfulness and trusting God and they missed it entirely.
When parents make a promise to their young children, the timing of the fulfillment of that promise may be perceived differently by the children. As an adult, you have a different perspective of time than do children. It is the same between God and His children, only to a much larger degree. After all, to the Lord, a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day. That does not mean that you have to wait a thousand years for the Lord to fulfill His promises to you, but it does mean that you are probably going to be needing something for the journey — endurance.
Just like harvesting a crop of vegetables requires first planting the seeds, so obtaining the promises of God requires first doing His will. But, what if you have been doing His will and nothing seems to be happening? You can be sure something is happening, even if you cannot perceive it. God always responds to faith and obedience, that is for certain. Just like those vegetable seeds are beginning to grow and will eventually break through the surface of the soil, so you will eventually get your breakthrough. Couldn’t the Lord just give me a bushel of corn already grown and ready to eat instead of having to go through the process to get to the time of harvest? He could, but you would miss some important things along the way and that would not accomplish His purpose in your life.
Keep pressing on with the Lord and doing what you know He has given you to do. If you run across some bitter water along the way, remember that God has not forgotten you or forsaken you. There are things to be learned even in the wilderness. The Promise Land is waiting for you but God is leading you there His way rather than taking you straight to it. He knows there is something you need along the way; you have need of endurance!