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Today we are confronted
with so many different challenges
to our faith and just in life in general.
And also too it seems like things
are going so fast
that it’s hard to keep up,
even with ourselves.
This can make us feel anxious, can’t it?
And if we’re not careful,
it can actually make us feel impatient,
impatient for Jehovah’s day to come,
for the new world.
And we wonder, ‘Why hasn’t Jehovah
brought it sooner than he has?’
But in order to understand
just how dangerous impatience is
and this type of thinking,
turn with me in your Bibles
to Proverbs chapter 14,
and we’ll look at verse 29 there.
Proverbs 14:29 says:
“The one who is slow to anger
has great discernment,
but the impatient one
displays his foolishness.”
In the Bible, we have warning examples
of those who were impatient
and their disastrous outcomes.
We have Adam and Eve, for instance.
They hastily took matters
into their own hands
without consulting with Jehovah,
and we know what the results of that are.
We think of also King Saul,
who impatiently disobeyed Jehovah
instead of waiting for Samuel
to help him worship Jehovah.
He lost his kingship because of that.
We think of the ancient Israelites
—they became impatient
with Moses and Jehovah
in the wilderness,
and they lost out on entering
into the Promised Land.
So we can see that impatience,
if we don’t check it,
it could really have
disastrous results for us too.
So how can we prevent these feelings
from overwhelming us?
How can we prevent being impatient?
Well, there’s a basic principle
that we can look at.
If you have
your Bible still open to Proverbs,
turn one page over to chapter 16,
and we’re going to look at verse 20.
It says: “The one who shows insight
in a matter will find success,
and happy is the one trusting in Jehovah.”
So we have to stop and think
about Jehovah’s thinking
—understand Jehovah’s viewpoint on things.
And that is the primary basis
for overcoming impatience,
especially waiting for Jehovah’s day.
And speaking of that,
here’s one primary point that gives us
insight into Jehovah and his thinking:
Second Peter 3:12
—there it says that we “await
and keep close in mind
the presence of the day of Jehovah.”
Did you notice the point there?
It’s Jehovah’s day and not ours.
Now, we know what Jehovah’s day
means for us.
And that’s why
we look forward to it so much
—we get relief
from the effects of sin and death,
and we see Jehovah
establishing a paradise earth
in which we can live forever on it.
And we really look forward
to that very much.
And will it come?
Yes, we know it will,
and we know for a fact it will.
Why?
Here’s another thing
to discern or to look into deeply:
First Timothy 1:17
—it’s a basic point,
but there Jehovah is identified
as “the King of eternity.”
You see, Jehovah existed for an eternity
before he created Jesus even,
and He will exist for an eternity to come.
And Jehovah is the only one
who can establish
an eternal purpose
that cannot be changed.
Nothing can affect Jehovah’s purpose,
but he as “the King of eternity”
will bring it for sure.
In fact, Acts 17:31 says
that Jehovah “has set a day
on which he purposes
to judge the inhabited earth.”
So Jehovah has an exact time
for bringing his day,
for accomplishing his will.
Everything has a prescribed time,
and nothing can affect it.
It’s not a target date for Jehovah.
He is not affected by a problem
in the supply chain
or inclement weather
or a bad political situation.
These things have no bearing
on the outcome of Jehovah’s purpose
or the bringing of his day,
because he is “the King of eternity.”
He created time,
and he set time to go in a certain direction,
which is forward at a certain speed.
So he controls this.
Now, the problem we have
as imperfect humans is waiting for it.
We are confronted with sin and death
and all the problems that accompany that.
And so we naturally become anxious
for that day to come
because we want
to escape from these problems.
We’re tired of these issues
that we’re facing today.
But we must keep in mind
that this is just a temporary period.
What is the reality of the situation?
Well, Jehovah tells us what the reality is.
Habakkuk 2:3 states
that Jehovah’s day
“is rushing toward its end.”
Zephaniah 1:14 says:
“The great day of Jehovah is near! . . .
And it is approaching very quickly!”
And remember Jesus’ words
at Revelation 22:20, where he says:
“I am coming quickly.”
You see, these scriptures give us
insight into Jehovah’s view
of time and his approaching day
that we long for.
Jehovah’s day is rushing to fulfillment,
and that’s really the reality of the matter.
Now, knowing this can help reorient us
mentally and emotionally
and can keep us in sync spiritually
with Jehovah and his timing of things.
And to illustrate this,
perhaps we could think of the astronauts
who are in the International Space Station.
You know, they do one orbit
of the earth every 90 minutes.
So within a 24-hour period,
they experience 16 sunrises and sunsets.
Now, how do they keep track of time
and avoid becoming anxious or confused
about what to do and what time it is
and how to keep in touch
with their family and even mission control?
How do they regulate their lives?
Well, they have a standard for time,
and that is Greenwich Mean Time.
Though they speed around the globe,
they do not get confused
as to what the real time is
for their families
and for their workmates on earth.
Well, in a very similar way,
what is real time for you and me?
Our real time is Jehovah’s time.
Jehovah has given us enough insight
regarding where we are in the stream of time
so that we can stay in step with him
and also see how quickly
Jehovah’s day is coming,
and this will help us to avoid
becoming anxious or even impatient.
And in the meantime,
Jehovah has given us
“plenty to do in the work of the Lord,”
and it’s hard to keep up with it, isn’t it?
Today, we’re experiencing a whirlwind
of activity in the organization
that we have never seen before.
Really, we’re seeing the fulfillment
of Isaiah 60:22, where it says:
“The little one has become a thousand.”
And Jehovah is ‘speeding up the work.’
So now more than ever,
it’s imperative for us to stay close
to Jehovah’s organization
so that we can stay in sync
with his timing of things,
keeping alert to flashes
of spiritual light that come to us
by means
of “the faithful and discreet slave.”
And during these last days, Jehovah is
providing spiritual food and enlightenment
to move us forward with his purpose
right where he wants us to be now.
And do we need to be concerned
about how future events will unfold
and what will happen
and how we’ll get
through the great tribulation?
Well, here’s another principle
to keep in mind
at John 16:12.
Notice what Jesus told his disciples
—John 16:12.
He says:
“I still have many things to say to you,
but you are not able to bear them now.”
So Jehovah gives us what we need
right now to stay in step with him.
We should not worry
about what may come in the future.
Jehovah will help us understand these things
when we need to understand them.
That’s the way Jesus’ disciples learned.
After Jesus ascended to heaven
and he sent the helper, the holy spirit,
then they understood all things.
And they also understood
how to survive the destruction of Jerusalem.
Clear direction was given
to them at that time.
They were always able
to keep in step with Jehovah
and the progression of his purpose.
And the same is true for us today.
By means
of God’s spirit-directed organization,
Jehovah keeps us in real time
so that we can keep in step with his purpose.
Having this insight, then,
can help us control our feelings
and any sense of impatience or anxiety.
We thus can remain calm and patient
because we know that Jehovah’s day will come,
and he will give us the real life
that he has promised.

Christopher Mavor: Patiently Waiting for Jehovah’s Day (Matt. 24:13)