Peter encourages the believer to add to their faith patience, or patient endurance. I’ve been thinking about patience this week. Paul says: “You have need of patience so that after you have done the will of God, you might obtain the promise (Heb 10:36).” In this fast paced, attention challenged age, most are looking for quick answers, immediate gratification, and instant success. With the popularity of cell phones and tablets increasing this trend will only continue. We are taught that by faith we can obtain the promises of God, which is absolutely true; but, often the answers to our prayers don’t come immediately and some might not even come in this life time! As we study the Bible diligently, we see that it takes more than faith to obtain promises from God. The word says you may suffer in the process, that your faith will be tested and tried. Although we do have exceedingly great and precious promises, we have need of patience to obtain them. Abraham is called the Father of our faith; the word declares that it was through faith and patience that he inherited the promises (Heb 6:15). He is one great example, but the Bible is filled with many examples of men who waited patiently for the promise of God to be fulfilled in their lives: Noah, Joseph, David, Moses, etc… This is why more than faith is necessary to do the will of God. All the fruits of the Spirit are needed to walk in God’s blessing and will. Faith is certainly the starter or the key that unlocks the promises, but patience is needed to continue in faith as we wait for the answer. So, with Peter, I exhort you to add patient endurance to your faith and while you’re at it, self-control would help too! Grace and peace to you.