Exercise patience

Patience, from the biblical perspective, embodies these four things:

(1) Confidence in God’s unfailing love and faithfulness to us: “His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23 NKJV).
(2) Confidence that He will keep His promises to us: “There has not failed one word… which He promised” (1 Kings 8:56 NKJV).
(3) Confidence that He has everything that concerns us under control: “The Lord will vindicate me” (Psalm 138:8 NIV).
(4) Confidence that even in the most difficult of circumstances, He is working for our good. “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God” (Romans 8:28 NKJV).

Confidence in God enables us to live by the Word: “He that believeth shall not make haste” (Isaiah 28:16 KJV). Impatience is at the root of so many of our failures. Hence the apostle James wrote: “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.” Look at Simon Peter: He came close to committing murder in the garden of Gethsemane in a vain attempt to protect Jesus (see John 18:10).

Look at Moses: His impatience caused him to strike the rock instead of speaking to it as God commanded; hence he forfeited the Promised Land (see Numbers 20:1-13). Look at Abraham: His impatience while waiting for God’s promise of a son to be fulfilled led to the birth of Ishmael and serious complications in the family (see Genesis 16:1-16).

Hence Paul wrote: “Whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4 NKJV). So, the word for you today is – exercise patience!

Soul food: 2 Sam 1:1-3:21; Matt 24:26-35; Ps 102:18-28; Pro 17:11-14