Patience

Are you a patient person? I’m not very patient at all. I’ve pretty much been a hot head my whole life. Thankfully God has been working on me since I was born again over four years ago. A temper is a horrible thing. If you have a bad temper, you probably have yelled at your loved ones and friends before. If you are saved and you ask for patience, be ready because God will probably give you plenty of opportunities to practice patience.

So why am I even writing about patience? I was reading Genesis chapter 15 the other day where God told Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars above. God tells Abraham that his descendants will inherit the land of Canaan. Then in verse 16 God tells him that the descendants wouldn’t receive the inheritance until the fourth generation because the iniquity (sins) of the Amorites is not yet full.

Now I don’t know how much time passed between when God told Abraham this promise and Jacob’s family moved to Egypt, but I do know that they were slaves in Egypt for 430 years and the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. So God’s judgment on the Amorites wasn’t fulfilled until well over 500 years! Now I call that being patient!

Do you see how patient God is? People talk about the wrath of God in the Old Testament, but see how patient and loving He is. God was very patient with the Amorites. He gave them over 500 years to change their evil ways. They burned their children in the fire in honor of their satanic false god Molech. (This sounds outrageous to us, but what about all the abortions that are being performed in America and around the world?)

God is a patient God. Nahum 1:3 says, “The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the Lord has his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet”. God is patient, He is slow to anger.

If you are truly born again, you are to be patient too (this is part of the fruit of the spirit Gal. 5:22-23). So are you a patient person? Do you exhibit patience toward others? In Ephesians 4:1-2 the apostle Paul said, “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love.” Patience is long suffering.

Colossians 3:12-13 states, “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering: Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do.”

God was graciously patient with me for 44 years, then thankfully He saved me. God gives each one of us every breath that we take. If you are unsaved, God’s patience will run out some day. If you die in your sins, then you will have waited too long. The Bible says today is the day of salvation. God calls you to turn away from your sins and surrender your life to Jesus Christ our Lord. Christians, be patient because God has called us to be patient.