In a society obsessed with speed, results, and instant manifestations, faith—true faith—remains a long, deliberate walk through uncertainty, often clouded with silence and trials. While many seek divine intervention like fast food, the ancient pathways of Scripture insist that the exploits of faith are neither spontaneous nor sterile. They are forged in the fires of waiting, in the womb of perseverance, and upon the altar of patience. As Hebrews 10:36 admonishes, “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”
To walk by faith is to embrace the paradox of movement without motion and hope without evidence. “Faith is not a bridge to escape reality—it is the force to endure it,” declared Dr. Paul Enenche, a leading Pentecostal voice in Africa. That kind of spiritual stamina is what kept Abraham standing, even when God delayed the promise of Isaac for 25 years. Romans 4:20-21 paints it perfectly: “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith… being fully persuaded that what He had promised, He was able also to perform.”
In the divine economy, patience is not a passive virtue—it is a prophetic strategy. Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams once said, “Real faith waits when answers tarry and holds on when emotions scream.” The story of the woman with the issue of blood in Mark 5:25-34 reminds us that even after twelve years of affliction, faith empowered by patience can still touch the hem of divinity. If she had rushed away or given up on her thirteenth year, destiny would have closed its curtains.
Bishop David Oyedepo taught, “Faith is not believing God for a day; it is believing God until the day of manifestation.” This is the divine curriculum most believers wish to skip—endurance in adversity. James 1:4 insists, “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” Without patience, faith remains immature—loud in confession but weak in continuity. Patience perfects the believer and transforms tests into testimonies.
Apostle Paul, a man seasoned by divine delay, declared in Romans 5:3-4, “We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope.” His words are not poetic—they are the framework of faith exploits. When Paul cried for the removal of his thorn in 2 Corinthians 12:8-9, God’s answer was not removal but revelation: “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Sometimes, what we call delay is divine refinement.
Pastor Enoch Adeboye once noted, “The strength of a man’s faith is measured by how long he can wait without wavering.” Waiting seasons are proving seasons. Before David wore the crown, he bore the wilderness. Before Joseph sat in Pharaoh’s palace, he endured prison garments. Psalm 105:19 underscores this mystery: “Until the time that his word came: the word of the Lord tried him.” Waiting does not diminish faith—it reveals its authenticity.
Brother Gbile Akanni of Peace House warns, “God does not use men He has not tested. The test is in the waiting.” The ark Noah built was not a rush order—it was a century-long sermon in wood and nails. That wasn’t procrastination; it was prophecy unfolding through patience. Galatians 6:9 exhorts us: “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” To faint is to forfeit, but to persevere is to inherit.
As Isaiah 40:31 declares, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength…” This is more than a promise—it is a principle. Faithful waiting births divine strength. It recalibrates vision, reshapes character, and restores perspective. Those who run ahead of God may arrive at a future He did not author. Those who wait, however, inherit the one He designed. Divine timing is not delayed timing—it is perfect timing hidden from the impatient.
In conclusion, the exploits of faith are not reserved for the hasty but for the unyielding. Patience and perseverance are not ornamental virtues; they are essential ingredients. Hebrews 6:12 commands us to “be followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” Until our generation re-embraces the long road of waiting, we will continue to celebrate premature victories and miss enduring crowns. As the Holy Bible reminds us in Ecclesiastes 7:8, “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.” Faith walks, waits, weeps, but in the end, it wins.
– Inah Boniface Ocholi writes from Ayah – Igalamela/Odolu LGA, Kogi state.
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