"Patience is one of the fruits of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22) Patience, the fruit, grows best when we are connected to the Vine, which is Jesus. Patience can be defined as…PEACE DURING THE PROCESS. Another name for patience is “longsuffering.” Suffering wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn't for the “long” part of it. But some things just take TIME. Some things require waiting, in other words, they require patience.
I have found that God is NOT in a hurry…about anything. When Lazarus had died in John chapter 11, verse 6 says, “Yet, when Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was for two more days.” You would think Jesus would have RUN to Lazarus’ home. He already KNEW the results that were about to happen. Jesus knows NO BOUNDARIES when it comes to what HE can do. He knows no time restrictions due to the fact that He is timeless. He has always been around and He will always be around. Jesus trusted His Father and THAT is all He needed. Note to us all...more TRUST!
In the parable of the 5 foolish virgins and the 5 wise virgins we it says, “The foolish bridesmaids took their lamps, but they didn’t take any extra oil. The wise bridesmaids, however, took along extra oil for their lamps.” Why did the wise virgins take “extra oil” for their lamps? They KNEW the Groom. They KNEW He always has perfect timing, yet is never in a hurry. The foolish virgins didn’t KNOW Him in this way. They thought everything would come together NOW…not later. Get some “extra oil.” There may be some “time” in between the promise and the end result. Be prepared for the necessity of patience. Remember, God has a plan and HIS timing is perfect; always!
What circumstances are YOU facing today? What has stolen YOUR peace? What has tried YOUR patience lately? No matter what we face, we can experience PEACE DURING THE PROCESS. Tap into “the peace that passes our own understanding.” (Philippians 4:7) Let THAT kind of peace work “patience” inside of you that will be then become visible on the outside. Let nothing shake you. After all, YOU are friends with the MAKER OF TIME!"
I needed to hear this today. For the first time since my accident (one month ago today), I am really struggling with patience. And peace. I just want to fast forward to the end of all the surgeries and recovery time. I have said all along that I believe God will make something beautiful out of this horrible thing, and that I was okay with the possibility of not knowing what that is. But as time goes on, I am finding it hard to hold firm to that belief.
I hurt. I'm tired. It's extremely frustrating not being able to do things for myself. I even wrote this post on Saturday to vent about all of my frustrations. Tomorrow I go in for more surgery, which will only lead to another surgery. More pain. More recovery time. That requires more patience, which has been running short lately. God knew what words to put on David's heart this morning (the author of the devotional). PEACE DURING THE PROCESS. This is my renewed prayer.
If you would like to be added to David's daily devotional email list, email DCTALKLINE@aol.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment