December 4

Twentieth Wednesday after Trinity

Wait patiently. Psalms 37:7.

HOLINESS is not the growth of a day; its fruits come but slowly to maturity; and a gradual work is far more enduring than one hastily or impatiently achieved. In art watch the artist putting touch upon touch, stroke upon stroke, until he brings about the desired result, and be assured that your soul needs the like treatment, that no perfection can be reached save by degrees and through patience. So it is with conscious operations of God's grace within your soul, or a living sense of His Divine consolations. You must wait patiently to realize them. Nevertheless, we are all so undisciplined and self-willed, even in the holiest things, we are so eager at once to obtain whatever we desire, we have so little notion of real patient waiting upon God, that it is no matter of wonder that we so often fail in our attempts. For instance, you set yourself to overcome an evil inclination, but you fix a limit in your own mind to the time of struggle, and expect victory within that limit. You seek after God, thinking yourself entitled to find Him after a certain length of search. Never limit your waiting upon God. If victory tarries, if holiness seems farther off than ever, even if God seems to hide Himself more than He once did, still wait patiently, never weary of waiting. "Tarry thou the Lord's leisure," and doubt not but that in His own good time He will "comfort thine heart."

Till the flood of morning rays Wake us to a song of praise.