The Hardest Virtue

Dr. Bingham's sermon on Sunday was great. He started in Genesis 1 describing how this chapter is "the most aggravating, irritating, frustrating...chapter for those who are in intense pain" because it introduces us to a God who prefers to work in 6 days rather than in 1. He is a God of process. He prefers to work progressively rather than instantaneously. Genesis 1 is the pattern for the rest of history. It is the pattern for our lives.
He reinforced his thesis by reminding us that between the last prophet's promise (Malachi 4:5) and the fulfillment of that promise (Matthew 1) there are 400 "silent" years. And between the promise to Abraham (Genesis 15) and the fulfillment through Moses and the exodus (Exodus3) there are somewhere between 430-600 years. There is example after example of God's (slow) process and people waiting for him to act in the bible.
Dr. Bingham described the hardest virtue as "learning to wait for God to act when you are crying out in pain". Our hope is in knowing that when God does decide to act that it is always VERY good (Genesis 1:31). Our call is to believe (while we are waiting) that God is faithful and will work perfectly in history and our lives with the "wisdom of the ages".