Patience

"You are in the middle of a miracle," the evangelist preached at the revival the other night.  He was emphasizing that we are not to give up when we get discouraged.  Quoting the scripture, "All things work together for good to those that love God and are the called according to His purpose," he referenced several illustrations.

Joseph didn't realize he was in the middle of a miracle when he was sold into slavery, falsely accused and thrown into prison, then forgotten about by the man whose dream he had interpreted.  But God worked it out in a way that was not only for his good, but for that of the whole nation.

Daniel didn't realize he was in the middle of miracle when he was taken from his people into Babylon, emasculated and turned into a eunuch, and made to learn the Babylonian ways, but he was faithful to God and was promoted by God.

The minister told of a man who had been diagnosed with cancer, and was so despondent that he committed suicide.  Shortly thereafter, it was revealed that he had received a wrong diagnosis.  He gave up too soon.

Another story was of a well-known person of the time who was a gold miner.  He had had some success and was treated well by merchants and backers.   But things changed for him, and one day he was broke with no credit. The miner felt sure he was on top of a major lode in the California hills, but he became discouraged when, day after day, month after month, his digging yielded nothing.  "This mine has destroyed me," he said in despair one day, and went home and poisoned his family and committed suicide.  The man who took over the mine shortly after hit the mother lode just below where the miner had stopped digging.  He had given up too soon.

The preacher asked if we'd heard of the Hanover Building in Chicago.  He said it was named for a very wealthy man.  Once a hitchhiker was picked up by the man.  The hitchhiker, a young man who did not know who the wealthy man was, felt an urge to witness to him and ask him to become a Christian.  Mr. Hanover stopped the car, put his head on the steering wheel and gave his life to Christ.  He gave the young man his address and told him to look him up if he were ever in Chicago.  Years later, the man did just that.

He was met by Mrs. Hanover and explained that he had met her husband on a certain date and led him into salvation.  His wife began to cry.  "My husband was killed in an auto accident the day after that date," she exclaimed.  "I had tried to persuade him to get saved for years, and I thought he had died without salvation." She went on to say that thinking God had failed her, she had left the church and gave up on her faith.  She repented, for she knew she had given up too soon.

We can all relate, finding ourselves in situations when we wonder when things will change for us or our loved ones.  The Bible tells us to not be weary in well doing, for we will reap in due season if we faint not (become discouraged).  After all, we may be in the middle of a miracle.