Daily Musings: Patience Brings its own Rewards: 3 Examples

“Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.” Psalm 37: 4-6 (KJV)

Humility, trust in God, and patience

These attributes aren’t always valued as they should be. In a fast-paced society, people often forgot that virtually every breakthrough is the result of at least two of these values—and often all three.

Individuals who arrogantly demand immediate results don’t usually get what they want. The most practical, life-changing solutions are discovered long after some humans have given up hope. They may be uncovered by accident, or after much trial and error.

Elijah, his Servant, and the Raincloud (I Kings 18: 41-46)

This is the account of how the prophet, Elijah, predicts rain in a time of drought. In verse 41, he says he hears an “abundance of rain”, when there is clearly no sign of even a light drizzle.

He sends his servant down from Mt. Carmel to the sea to check for signs of precipitation—not once, but seven times. Finally, the worker says he sees a cloud as big as a man’s hand. The prophet then correctly forecasts an immediate flash flood.

Penicillin

This life-saving antibiotic was discovered by accident in 1928. Dr. Alexander Fleming was the bacteriologist on call at St. Mary’s Hospital in London. He had just returned from a vacation. When he went to his lab, he checked his petri dishes. The doctor found the bacteria, staphylococcus aureus, growing in them.

Luckily, Dr. Fleming also found penicillin, a fungus, developing in the dishes. It was inhibiting the growth of the bacteria. This family of organisms is still among the most widely used group of antibiotics today.

WD-40

One in four U.S households keeps this lubricant and water displacer/rust inhibitor on hand. Individuals who have the following problems will know this product well:

Squeaky hinges or gears
Locks or bolts that stick
Rusty metal

Part of the story of this practical product is in the name. WD stands for water displacement.40 is the number of the successful recipe. That means 39 trials failed; luckily, the scientists didn’t stop.

Iver Norman Lawson, or Larsen, worked on the formula with one other scientist. They were under contract to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The scientists’ job was to make a product to protect the outer skin of the Atlas long-range missile from rust and corrosion. Their 40^th recipe was successful in 1953.

Lawson knew there were other uses for his invention. He got permission from NASA to market the product commercially. WD-40 was test-marketed in South Dakota in 1958. By 1961, U.S. consumers could buy it in aerosol cans. In 1965, airlines began using it.

My Conclusion

For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”—Psalm 84:11 (KJV)

If you sprinkle obedience into the mixture of patience and trust in God, you have the recipe for a gourmet cake of His favor.

Victorious Underdogs: 2 Examples

Taking Steps Toward Progress: 2 Tips

Do you trust God?