Faith and Patience ( Habakkuk 2 v 2 - 3 )

Right at the beginning of  Marks gospel he quotes from the book of Isaiah 40 v 3 which reads, 'I will send my messenger ahead of you,who will prepare your way - a voice of one calling in the desert . Prepare the way of the Lord,make straight paths for him', now this had a twofold message as we will see,We have a similar passage in Malachi 3 v 1.These prophesies relate to that time when the Messiah was  to come , the Messenger would be John the Baptist, and the Messiah would be Jesus.  Isaiah prophesied about 600 years before these words would be fulfilled,and Malachi about 400 years.Consider the long wait before these prophesies would be fulfilled , faith and patience was called for. When Abraham was promised a son Genesis 15 v 4  - 6. right away Abraham believed God,he exercised faith,but then he had to exercise patience,for it was not until both Sarah and him ,were elderly, was the promise fulfilled (Romans 4 v 18 - 22 )Patience we are told is a virtue,but it is also vital,as like Abraham,we wait on promises being fulfilled.The next great event in Gods plan is the returning of Jesus, in John 14 just before He was to leave and return to heaven,He said,''I will come back and take you to be with me''.this is what we believe,we have faith in what our Saviour said,but it has been over two thousand years since the promise was given.Go to 2 Peter 3 were people were doubting the promise,and consider how Peter  answers it. Jesus is returning no matter how long its being since the promise has been given,it will happen. On a personal note ,let me ask you,has God given you a promise? have you not received it yet? ,have faith, have patience, in your God,who always keeps his word.