Most everything we use has an expiration date stamped on it. Food packages have a note telling us that it is best when used by a certain date. Automobiles have a limited amount of mileage before they wear out. Clothes can only stand so much wear and tear before they are no longer able to be worn. Even our minds are not accustomed to things lasting any length of time. We lose interest if things drag on too long. What about our faith? How long should it last? How long can we wait on something to happen and not lose our faith? (1 Peter 1:7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith, of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire, may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.) Keeping the faith while we wait for God to answer our prayers can be a real test. Hebrews tells us that faith is the evidence of the things we do not see and the proof of their reality. So, faith is what we have while we are waiting for God to provide what we have asked him for. It’s not so difficult if God chooses to answer quickly, but it becomes more difficult the longer He takes in meeting our needs and answering our prayers. Our faith can really be tested during the wait. God tells us the most valuable, most important, and most powerful possession we have is our faith. Are you in a waiting period today? Keep the faith! God is aware of your need. Pastor Don [image: image.png]