Our Patient God
Tuesday, November 17, 2020 Good Morning, Lord V.O.D.: Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. M.O.M.: Ephesians 4:31 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.(English Standard Version) Today's reading: Ezekiel 8-10 Hebrews 13
The Lord is Patient
2 Peter 3:8 Beloved, do not let this one thing escape your notice: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.
We, humans, get impatient. We want it right now! The children of Israel got impatient and in doing so walked away from God and built their own places to worship under 'every tree', as it says in Ezekiel. This brought about God's wrath.
The scripture says our God is patient. The King James Bible says 'longsuffering'. He 'suffers' us, patiently puts up with us, for as long as it takes.
We are not born with patience. But, when we are born again, the Holy Spirit moves into our hearts with all the fruit in Galatians 5:22&23. The shipment has arrived and must be unpacked and put to use. The Spirit must lead us and teach us and counsel us in the use of His gifts.
Years ago, a friend accompanied his company's helicopter on a 747 with hundreds of thousands of personal relief packs to a country that had seen disaster. From the window of his airport hotel room, my friend could see his helicopter and stacks and stacks of relief packs for the helpless sit idol and untouched-for weeks while the corrupt government figured out how they could make a profit from all this while their people suffered.
God desires that we grow. He wants us to unpack the gifts of love, joy, and peace and live with them. He wants us to learn patience, goodness, and kindness. His good pleasure comes to Him when we grow in gentleness, faithfulness and when we control ourselves to the point of letting Him have total control all the time.
He also knows us and is longsuffering...
There is no way for us to know how patient God must be to wait for all of us to completely trust Him and learn His ways . He chose you before the foundations of the earth. It is now-the appointed time.
What a merciful God we serve!
...because He loves us... Father in Heaven, I know I am not where I should be, so, forgive me and lead me. I want whatever You want for me. Merciful and gracious God, In the name of Christ Jesus, Amen