Daily devotion – The gift of patience.
Patience
I am sure you have heard someone say that they once prayed for God to give them patience, and from that time on all they experienced was difficulty! One thing is certain: God does want to produce patience, endurance, and the ability to keep going when life becomes tough.
Romans 5:3-5 tells us:
“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”
In the Bible, patience is not simply the passive acceptance of difficult circumstances, as many people think. Rather, it is a courageous perseverance in the face of suffering and difficulty.
Immature people are often impatient, while mature people learn to be patient and persistent. Impatience and unbelief are often partners in crime, just as faith and patience go together.
The writer of Hebrews tells us:
“That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” — Hebrews 6:12
Later he writes:
“For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” — Hebrews 10:36
God wants to develop patience in our lives because patience is essential to spiritual growth and to receiving all that He desires to do in and through us. When we learn to wait upon the Lord, trusting His timing rather than rushing ahead, God can do great things.
Abraham ran ahead of God and married Hagar, bringing great sorrow into his home (Genesis 16).
Moses ran ahead of God and killed a man, then spent forty years in the wilderness tending sheep—learning lessons that could only be learned through waiting on God (Exodus 2:11).
Peter, in his impatience, almost killed a man in the Garden of Gethsemane (John 18:10-11).
The truth is that patience and character are often developed through trials. Endurance cannot simply be learned by reading a book or praying a prayer. We must walk through the storms of life, trust God, and continue to obey Him.
And as we do, God produces patience, character, and hope within us.
Knowing this, we can face trials with joy!
We know what our trials can do in us and for us, and we know that the end result can bring glory to God.
So when life becomes difficult, don’t give up. Keep trusting. Keep obeying. Keep going.
Patience!