I recently read a great devotion (Streams in the Desert) about patience. The points they made were really good – I have found them to be so very true in my own life. I have expanded on each of those points here.
Being patient is very active. It’s never a passive thing, and always involves quite a bit of intentional effort. We may struggle to grasp that patience is not equal to weakness. Instead, patience involves great strength, as God is working out His divine purposes in us through the process of waiting on Him and submitting our will to His.
Being patient involves getting rid of all worry, and entrusting ourselves to the God who is in charge and in control of the entire universe. The more we worry, the less we are waiting patiently and submitting ourselves to God’s authority. Easier said than done, but so very worth it, because then we are able to wait on God with a peaceful heart.
In practicing patience, we choose to forego tears, and choose the path of joy instead. This is a gold mine of opportunity to glorify our heavenly Father – when we are able to wait with a joyful heart. Those of us who have children understand the incredible blessing it is to us when they choose the path of joy instead of sadness or grumbling when we ask them to wait. How much more so could our joy be pleasing to our Heavenly Father when He asks us to wait.
True patience means letting go of trying to fix it ourselves – relinquishing all control to God and waiting for His divine works instead of our own pitiful, petty solutions.
As we grow in patience, we learn to align our hearts to His divine purposes, so that ultimately the thing we want most is for God’s desires and plans to be fulfilled over our own.
As we grow in patience, we may notice that we become more sharply focused - - our gaze becomes steady and fixed as we learn to keep our eyes on Him. And as we wait on Him with our eyes firmly fixed on Him, our spirit can’t help but rise up in joyful praise of Him who patiently suffered and endured great pain on our behalf. He makes our joy complete!
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Heb 12:2,3)
Being patient is very active. It’s never a passive thing, and always involves quite a bit of intentional effort. We may struggle to grasp that patience is not equal to weakness. Instead, patience involves great strength, as God is working out His divine purposes in us through the process of waiting on Him and submitting our will to His.
Being patient involves getting rid of all worry, and entrusting ourselves to the God who is in charge and in control of the entire universe. The more we worry, the less we are waiting patiently and submitting ourselves to God’s authority. Easier said than done, but so very worth it, because then we are able to wait on God with a peaceful heart.
In practicing patience, we choose to forego tears, and choose the path of joy instead. This is a gold mine of opportunity to glorify our heavenly Father – when we are able to wait with a joyful heart. Those of us who have children understand the incredible blessing it is to us when they choose the path of joy instead of sadness or grumbling when we ask them to wait. How much more so could our joy be pleasing to our Heavenly Father when He asks us to wait.
True patience means letting go of trying to fix it ourselves – relinquishing all control to God and waiting for His divine works instead of our own pitiful, petty solutions.
As we grow in patience, we learn to align our hearts to His divine purposes, so that ultimately the thing we want most is for God’s desires and plans to be fulfilled over our own.
As we grow in patience, we may notice that we become more sharply focused - - our gaze becomes steady and fixed as we learn to keep our eyes on Him. And as we wait on Him with our eyes firmly fixed on Him, our spirit can’t help but rise up in joyful praise of Him who patiently suffered and endured great pain on our behalf. He makes our joy complete!
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Heb 12:2,3)
