“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV)
God’s battle plans often challenge our human understanding. When Joshua received instructions for conquering Jericho, they must have seemed bizarre. March around the city once a day for six days, then seven times on the seventh day, blow trumpets, shout, and the walls will fall? It wasn’t exactly a conventional military strategy.
The Israelites’ obedience to this unusual command was a profound exercise in patience. Day after day, they circled the formidable walls of Jericho, likely under the mocking gaze of its defenders. There were no immediate results, no visible progress. Just walking, waiting, and trusting in God’s promise.
Patience, as a fruit of the Spirit, often grows in the soil of seemingly fruitless obedience. Those six days of marching weren’t just about military strategy; they were about cultivating a deep, abiding trust in God’s timing and methods. The Israelites were learning to align their expectations with God’s plan, even when it didn’t make sense to them.
The seventh day’s instructions pushed their patience even further. After a week of what appeared to be futile marching, they were asked to circle the city seven times in one day. Imagine the physical and mental stamina required, the temptation to doubt or give up. Yet, they persevered, demonstrating the kind of patience that can only come from the Spirit of God.
Patience is not passive waiting; it’s active trust. The Israelites weren’t told to sit idly by and wait for God to act. They were given specific, repeated actions to perform. Their patience was demonstrated through consistent, faithful obedience, even when the purpose wasn’t immediately clear.
The fruit of patience often ripens just before the moment of breakthrough. It was only after completing the full set of instructions – after their patience had been thoroughly tested – that the walls of Jericho fell. The dramatic victory was preceded by days of seemingly uneventful obedience.
“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” – Aristotle, philosopher. This reflects the challenging nature of cultivating patience and the rewarding outcomes, as seen in the eventual fall of Jericho’s walls.
In our own lives, God often uses seasons of waiting to cultivate the fruit of patience in us. Like the Israelites circling Jericho, we may find ourselves in situations where we’re called to persist in obedience without seeing immediate results. These are the times when the Holy Spirit is working deeply in us, growing the fruit of patience.
Godseekers, when you find yourself in a “Jericho season,” remember that your patience is not in vain. Every lap around your personal Jericho is an opportunity for the fruit of the Spirit to grow in your life. Your consistent obedience, your willingness to trust God’s timing, is itself a victory – even before the walls fall.
Prayer
Lord, cultivate in me the fruit of patience. Help me to trust Your timing and Your methods, even when they don’t align with my expectations. Give me the strength to persist in obedience, even when I can’t see immediate results. May my life demonstrate the patient trust that can only come from Your Spirit working in me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Personal Reflection
- What “Jericho” are you currently circling in your life? How can you demonstrate patient obedience in this situation?
- Reflect on a time when God grew patience in you through a season of waiting. What did you learn from that experience?
Step of Faith
Today, identify an area in your life where you’ve been impatient for results. Commit to one specific act of obedience in this area, even if you can’t see how it will lead to the outcome you desire. Trust that God is using this to grow the fruit of patience in your life.
