We often hear about the patience of Job, but have you ever considered the patience of toads?  Our house must be located in prime toad territory because we have a multitude of the little critters that hop out from under bushes and other hiding places each night in search of bugs.  There’s a group that gathers under the light on the carport and another group that fans out across the patio finding the patches where the security light on the power pole shines through the birch tree limbs.  Two of the toads spend the day under the moss roses in a planter on the back porch.  At night they scramble over the edge of the container, plop down on the bricks and hop to any light that is shining through the glass in the back door. 

The toads are not alone in their search for tasty bug treats. The green tree frogs also hang around – literally.  They’re the ones with enlarged pads on their toes that give them the ability to crawl up the side of the house and even stick to the ceiling upside down. 

The tree frogs attach themselves to the glass in our back door and spend the night waiting a short time and moving, waiting a little more and moving – they rarely stay in one spot for more than a minute or two and then impatiently move on in search of better hunting.

But the toads don’t seem to feel the need to do much moving.  A toad can sit for an hour in the exact same location, waiting for a wandering bug to land in the few square inches in front of him that are within range of an outstretched tongue and a quick lunge.  I don’t know how many bugs that a toad can catch in a night but apparently there are enough to make them fat and keep them coming back and sitting patiently night after night.

It’s written in the Bible that God provides for all of his creation – that would include bugs for toads.  While not realizing it, the toads do acknowledge that fact and trust in it by going each night to a good spot, sitting and waiting, and then acting when the opportunity shows itself.

Perhaps we could learn from the toads’ example.  God provides for His children too and gives us blessings and opportunities to serve Him, but we can’t find those while sitting alone in a hiding place.  We must first move closer to the Light, drawing nearer to God by studying His Word, communicating with Him through prayer, and exercising our faith through obedience.  During this process we shouldn’t be rushing about like the tree frogs trying to find what God would have us do.  Instead it requires patience like the waiting toads.  God will lead us in what He wants us to do but the timing will be up to Him.  If we wait patiently and trust in His faithfulness He will give us opportunities and when those are presented, that’s when we must act.  If we wait on God and then follow His purpose and timing, we will receive blessings from above – and they’re guaranteed to be better than those that the toads receive!

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”  Isa 40:31 KJV