Tag: Patience
All patience with joy!
Scripture reading for September 8: Colossians 1
“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His Beloved Son, in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:9-14
Paul wrote another letter from prison in Rome to the believers in Colossae. The church there had been founded during Paul’s missionary journey where he preached for three years in Ephesus. They were being attacked by false teachers who were undermining the supremacy of Christ and His sufficiency. But Paul wrote to encourage them through prayer and words of truth. His prayer in these opening verses was for a knowledge of God’s will in spiritual wisdom and understanding. He knew when believers had a full understanding of God’s will that they could then conduct themselves in a godly manner and fulfill the good works that He had prepared for them.
Paul also prayed that they would be strengthened with all power through the Holy Spirit. When believers are filled with the Holy Spirit, they can grow spiritual fruit like patience and joy and endurance. They live lives of thankfulness and look forward to sharing in eternal inheritance in the kingdom of Jesus Christ. They rest in Christ’s sacrifice of His blood to bring their forgiveness of sins and redemption from death and eternal separation from God in outer darkness. They have joy in their deliverance from the darkness of sin through the knowledge of Jesus Christ, the Firstborn of all creation and Creator of all things. (Colossians 1:15)
Is your life today marked by the fruits of endurance, patience and joy? Is your knowledge of Jesus Christ continuing to grow and can you clearly define His will for your own salvation? Do you experience the pleasure of God and His power growing in your daily walk?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for Jesus Christ, the Firstborn of all creation and my Redeemer. I understand the mystery of His will that through Jesus Christ, all mankind would be enabled to receive forgiveness of sins and a transfer from the darkness of sin into the Kingdom of His Beloved Son. Let Your kingdom come and Your will be done in and through me today. Amen.
Patient endurance!
Scripture reading for June 9: Acts 25
“When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him that they could not prove. Paul argued in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense.” But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?” But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well. If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.”” Acts 25:7-12
Luke records Paul’s two years in prison in Caesarea awaiting justice from false charges by his own countrymen. When Felix took over from Festus, the case against Paul was again argued by the Jews. They were set on seeing Paul eliminated and brought serious charges that they could not prove. Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, took to his own defense in a calm and reasoned manner. Festus, a politician, wanted to please the Jews. He offered Paul the opportunity to stand trial in Jerusalem. But Paul knew of their murderous plot to kill him and as a Roman citizen, appealed to Caesar for justice.
But Paul also had the leading of the Lord Jesus Who had promised before that he would testify in Rome. (Acts 23:11) As Paul had patiently waited, over two years went by and he had many opportunities to share the Gospel with the Roman authorities and soldiers keeping him. He was allowed visits with his fellow church members. Sometimes God’s promises must await His perfect timing. Like Paul, we must work while we wait! We are not to live in fear of death or depression over our current circumstances.
Have you ever received a promise from the Lord and then had circumstances that defied its fulfilment? How did Paul keep a good attitude while imprisoned for over two years? What world view did both Festus and Felix hold that God used Paul to work on?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for sustaining Your people through difficult times by giving vision and understanding of Your plans. Thank You for the fruit of the Holy Spirit to patiently endure and faithfully obey Your plan to share the Good News with all! Open my eyes to those I am to witness to today. Amen.
Heaven’s drama-the seven seals
Scripture reading for December 25th: Revelation 6-7
The drama in heaven continues with John watching the Lamb as He opens the scroll one seal at a time. With each seal, there is a revelation or picture that John saw and wrote down for us to experience. These visions represent judgments that are coming on the earth in the days to come. The Lamb opened the seals and one of the living creatures spoke to John explaining the vision.
The opening of the first seal brought a white horse and rider. The rider held a bow and rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest. The second seal brought a vision of a red horse and rider. This rider held a sword and would take peace from the earth by causing men to slay each other. The third seal brought a black horse and rider. That rider held a pair of scales and spoke of famine. The fourth seal brought a pale horse and it’s rider was named “Death” and Hades was close behind. This rider was given power to kill a fourth of the earth with the sword, famine and plague and by wild beasts of the earth.
It was plain that the seals revealed judgments coming on the earth in the future. The fifth seal changed the scene from earth to heaven and the altar. Under the altar were the souls of a multitude who had been slain for their testimony and the Word of God. They asked the Lord how long before judgment would come to the earth for their blood. They were told to be patient until those who would be killed would be complete. (Revelation 6:9-11)
The sixth seal brought a great earthquake. The sun turned black and the moon turned blood red. The stars in the sky fell to earth and the sky receded like a scroll being rolled up. With this destructive turmoil, the people left on the earth hid in caves and among the rocks of mountains. They asked the rocks to fall on them to hide them from the face of the One on the Throne and the wrath of the Lamb. They were in fear and distress, but not in faith!
Revelation 7 brought an interlude in the heavenly drama. Between the opening of the sixth and seventh seal, John described the marking of 144,000 from the tribes of Israel. These were sealed with the seal of God on their foreheads. John then saw a multitude in white robes from every nation, tongue and tribe. They were worshiping the Lamb. John asked who these were and was told that they came out of the great tribulation and had washed their robes in the Lamb’s blood. (Revelation 7:13-14)
These awesome events are scenes of things yet to come. We must have the seal of God to avoid the seals of judgment opened by the Lamb. Are you washed in His blood and sealed with His Holy Spirit?
Patience: Jesus is coming!
Scripture reading for December 1: James 1-5
James was the half-brother of Jesus Christ and was known to be the pastor of the church in Jerusalem. One of his nicknames was “camel knees” because of time spent in prayer for his flock. His letter encourages faith and works that spring from that faith. He also talks about trials and the need for wisdom and patience.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4
It takes an act of faith and a deliberate choice to count being in a trial joy. James encourages us to embrace trials with joy, because we know that they develop perseverance which aids us to grow and mature. When we are children, we are impatient and unable to wait. But the life of a believer requires patience as trials come to test our faith.
“Be patient, then brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door.” James 5:7-9 Farmers regularly must be patient and wait upon God for the needed rains to grow and mature their crops. Our spiritual maturity requires patient endurance through life’s storms. Grumbling is a sign of impatience. God will judge those who are impatient.
“Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” (James 5:10-11) James was always addressing the “brothers” in an encouraging way, appealing to their past knowledge and understanding as Jewish believers. They were familiar with the prophets and their suffering–especially Job, the oldest book of the Bible. Job suffered patiently and God restored him.
“Is anyone in trouble? He should pray.” (James 5:13a) James ends his letter with an encouragement to pray when in trials or trouble. Prayer helps us to persevere and develops patience. Elijah of old prayed and waited on God. God answered him. He will answer us today as well! We must persevere and watch and pray! Jesus is coming! The rains mean harvest! The trials mean more maturity and joy!
Faith and prayer
Scripture reading for April 13: 2 Kings 18-21
In 1980, my wife and I were caught in a financial crisis beyond our ability to handle or fix. We had borrowed money to buy land and equipment and build our farming business and interest rates had more than doubled. Many neighbors had lost farms to the banks and creditors because they were unable to pay and our situation looked bad. We had rededicated our lives to the Lord just a few years earlier and as we studied the Word of God, we knew we needed to humble ourselves, repent, and ask God for His mercy. Mary and I knelt by our bed and did just that in an act of faith and humility.
Hezekiah, one of the kings of Judah, was a man of faith. Scripture says that he “held fast to the Lord and did not cease to follow Him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses.” (2nd Kings 18:5-6) Because he trusted the Lord, the Lord was with him and he was successful in all he did. One of his first moves was to destroy the bronze snake that Moses had built to stop the plague of serpents in the desert. God’s people had made an idol of it and were burning incense to it! (2nd Kings 18:4)
Hezekiah was tested by the Assyrians. He rebelled against the king of Assyria, the military power of that day, and would not serve him. Assyria captured Samaria and Israel (the ten tribes) in Hezekiah’s sixth year. In Hezekiah’s fourteenth year, Sennacherib, king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. (2nd Kings 18:13) Hezekiah tried to buy off the king of Assyria with gold from the temple, but a large army showed up surrounding Jerusalem. Hezekiah was told of this situation and he immediately went to the temple in a humbled posture to seek the help of God. As he prayed for help, God sent word by the prophet Isaiah that God would intervene and deliver them! (2nd Kings 19:6-7) Hezekiah’s faith lead him to a humble appeal to the Lord of Heaven. Solomon had prayed earlier at the dedication of the temple for people who were at war and would cry out to God that God would hear and answer! (1st Kings 8:44-45)
What are you facing today that seems like a mountain? Go to God in prayer! Let your faith move you to prayer. Go humbly to confess how your own sinful actions led to the trouble. Go expecting God to hear and answer you! The answer is already on the way! By the way, eight years after we prayed, my wife and I were debt-free! Faith and prayer gives direction and patience!
Sunday rest and reflection–patience
As I reflect on Joshua and think about what he faced in his lifetime, I am reminded of my need for patience and courage. It is hard to live patiently when you know what the Lord has said and no one around you is walking in faith. Joshua kept quiet and had a positive outlook when almost everyone was grumbling and complaining. He lived faithfully and held his tongue and temper.
Joshua had to wait 40 years to enter his inheritance. As one of the twelve spies, he saw the land first-hand and understood from God’s Word that it belonged to them. He believed that God would help them with the walled cities and the giants. He had a good attitude and a good confession. He tore his clothes and pleaded with the people when they rebelled at Kadesh. (Numbers 14:5-9) He faithfully served Moses for the 40 years as he walked with those who were destined to die in the wilderness, He was chosen by God to lead Israel after Moses’s departure. The Bible tells us that the first requirement of a steward is that they be found faithful! (1st Corinthians 4:2) Joshua was faithful and patient to wait until God’s time came for him to enter and possess his inheritance.
As you take time to rest and pray today, thank God for His faithfulness in sending His son Jesus Christ, our Joshua! Jesus keeps a good attitude, even when we whine and complain. He walks with us faithfully, even when we don’t recognize Him present. He kept God’s Word perfectly and is the only one who can take us into the “promised land’! He took the lowest place of a servant and God exalted Him to the highest place of authority. What courage and strength it took for Him to save us! Are you letting patience have it’s perfect work in your life today? Have a great day of rest and refreshing! Remember to gather with others of faith and worship the Lord! God bless you! Pastor John
Faith, prayer, and patience!
Scripture reading for November 29th: Jude, Psalm 88, Proverbs 21
Jude: 20-25 “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. Now to Him Who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
Jude was the half-brother of Jesus Christ and a follower of Jesus as his Messiah. He wrote to the early church, encouraging them to contend for the faith once delivered to them. False teachers and false prophets were seeking to devour and draw away Christ’s followers. Jude had simple instructions and a benediction that has been used by many church leaders to encourage Christ’s followers. Jude recognized the need for faith. Faith comes by hearing and applying God’s Word. Prayer is an act of faith. The Father’s Gift, the Holy Spirit, enables us to pray effectively. When we pray in the Holy Spirit, we build ourselves up in holy faith. Through faith and prayer, patience to wait for and anticipate the coming of Jesus is a glorious by-product! All glory to Jesus Christ, the Faithful One, Who is praying for us as we wait in His Love!
Psalm 88:13 “But I, O Lord, cry to You; in the morning my prayer comes before You.”
Prayer: Father God, I cry to You each morning, responding to Your Word that tells me to ask You for my daily bread and protection from the evil one. May Your kingdom come and Your will be done in my life and those of my brothers and sisters and children. Your Word is a precious Treasure and the Holy Spirit is Oil of Joy in my heart as I keep my heart in Christ’s love, seek His kingdom, pray, and wait for His return.
Proverbs 21:20-21 “Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling, but a foolish man devours it. Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor.”
Patience with people!
Scripture reading for April 5th: James 5, Psalm 68, Proverbs 6
James 5:7-11 “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.”
James, a pastor, understood well the need for patience. His instructions to the beloved brothers was to cultivate a continual awareness of the coming of our Lord. Our Lord is the Judge of all men and believers must stand before the Judgment seat of Christ to receive reward or loss for deeds done in the body. A lack of patience with people is manifested in grumbling, complaining and judging others. To encourage patience, James pointed believers to the prophets who spoke in the Name of the Lord. Job, in particular, was a man of great suffering and trials, yet he patiently waited on the Lord. The Lord restored him double at the end! God is truly merciful and compassionate and worth waiting for!
Psalm 68:3-4 “But the righteous shall be glad; they shall exult before God; they shall be jubilant with joy! Sing to God, sing praises to His Name; lift up a song to Him Who rides through the deserts; His Name is the Lord; exult before Him.”
Prayer: Father God, I rejoice in You today and in Your wise Words of encouragement through the prophets and apostles written down for us. Your Words are a Light and when I am reproved by them, it leads me to a fuller life and the experience of peace. Help me to be patient with others each day, recognizing Your great patience for me and Your endless mercy for Your suffering people.
Proverbs 6:23 “For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way to life.”
Steadfast love brings reward!
Scripture reading for March 10th: Hebrews 6, Psalm 50, Proverbs 19
Hebrews 6: 9-12 “Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things–things that belong to salvation. For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for His Name in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
The writer of Hebrews had issued a warning against those who fall away in the early verses of this passage. But he was encouraging in this passage that commended the believers for their continuing work on behalf of the saints and their steadfast love. He encouraged them to follow the path of the patriarchs of the faith like Abraham, who through faith and patience inherited the promises of God for fruitfulness and blessing. Like Abraham, they may have to go through times of testing when the promises looked out of reach. But through steadfast love in covenant with God, God always comes through and brings glory to Himself by blessing HIs people and fulfilling HIs Word.
Psalm 50:14-15 “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you shall glorify Me.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for all Your faithfulness to those who have gone before me. Your divine and precious promises have proven true again and again in my life. Help me to continue in the works You have prepared for me with steadfastness and faithfulness to the covenant of love You have made with me through Jesus Christ. I want to inherit all Your promises and lead my family and others to their reward!
Proverbs 19:22-23 “What is desired in a man is steadfast love, and a poor man is better than a liar. The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied, he will not be visited by harm.”
Steadfast and patient till Jesus comes!
Scripture reading for October 11th: Jeremiah 37, 21, 34, Psalm 79, James 5
James 5: 7-11 “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.”
James concludes his short letter with a call for patience and steadfastness while the believers waited for the coming of the Lord and Judge! He pointed to farmers for an example as they sowed their seed in faith, they must wait for the early and late rains to bring the crop to maturity before the fruit of the earth can be harvested. In the same way, believers must guard their hearts and be steadfast through the trials of life and God working in the hearts of people to soften them and bring forth precious fruit of repentance and faith. The prophets also stood as examples. James sited Job as an example of patience in suffering and how God restored him double. Jeremiah also remained steadfast in spite of persecution, death threats and imprisonment faithfully delivering God’s Word to His people in spite of resistance.
Psalm 79: 4-5, 11 ” We have become a taunt to our neighbors, mocked and derided by those around us. How long, O Lord? Will You be angry forever? Will Your jealousy burn like fire?” . . . “But we Your people, the sheep of Your pasture, will give thanks to You forever; from generation to generation will will recount Your praise.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for these words of encouragement to remain steadfast in the face of trials or suffering. We are thankful for the examples You gave us in the prophets of old and apostles of Jesus and in Jesus Himself. We look forward to the coming of our Lord and the great reward of eternal life in His presence forever and ever!
Jeremiah 37:16-17 “When Jeremiah had come to the dungeon cells and remained there many days, King Zedekiah sent for him and received him. The king questioned him secretly in his house and said, “Is there any Word from the Lord?” Jeremiah said, “There is.” Then he said, “You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.””