It you build to last, you’ve got to build with work and with patience.”
–Louis L’Amour (Tucker)
“O Lord, You know; Remember me and visit me, And take vengeance for me on my persecutors. In Your enduring patience, do not take me away. Know that for Your sake I have suffered rebuke.”
–Jeremiah 15:15(NKJV)
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I want patience and I want it now! Are you glad that God doesn’t have to get patience? Patience is simply a display of His mercy, Psalms 145:8 states, “The Lord is full of compassion, slow to anger.” This is one attribute of God that I’m very thankful for. Without the patience of God where in the world would you and I be?
Arthur Pink defines the patience of God this way, “that power of control which God exercises over Himself, causing Him to bear with the wicked and forbear so long in punishing them.” The prophet Nahum says that, “The Lord is slow to anger and great in power.” The patience of God is that excellency which causes Him to sustain great injuries without immediately avenging Himself. Many times we do not show patience because we lack or do not take control of our passions. We want to act immediately. If you don’t think so, just go out and take a drive, especially during rush hour. Does it cause your blood pressure to rise? Or are you like me, and get upset at the arrogance and stupidity of those on the road? Patience is not only God showing that He is slow to anger, but wisdom, self-control, and mercy are intertwined with His patience. When we read in Scripture that the “Lord is long-suffering,” it is speaking of His power of self-restraint.
“Now may the God of patience…” (Romans 15:5) Just stop and think of that phrase for a moment. What is it that you want God to be patience in, over? First of all we know that God is patient in His dealings with sinners. He doesn’t strike them down with a whim. He is patient, allowing them either to repent or their sin to fill the cup. Plus the fact that God forewarns those in which He is going to “lose His patience with.” In the day of Noah, He warned the people, He waited, and all the time He had a preacher of righteousness warning them. Today, instead of striking down He allows “nations to walk in their own ways.” He has grace prepared, mercy in His wings, if only they repent. But for a time, He shows patience.
Israel is a prime example of how God is patient with nations and His people. In the wilderness, He was patience–forty years worth of patience in dealing with that stiff-necked bunch. He sent judges to Israel to deliver them. He did not destroy them though they had wicked kings and followed their dictates. There is another case of His warnings–He sent the prophets. Finally, He sent them into exile, but He maintained a remnant, and eventually there was the dispersion but even in that God was patient and brought the nation back together in 1948.
I look at the news and wonder how much longer God will hold in His patience. Billy Graham said, “If God does not bring judgment upon America He will have to apologize for Sodom and Gomorrah.” How dare puny man challenge God, mock Him, sully His name, and blaspheme His word. Why does not the righteous wrath of God make an end to the abominations of earth? Patience. Patience and His divine decrees. There will be a day when He says, “enough is enough,” and the time of the Tribulation will be upon the earth.
But what about us? God has patience with each of us and that should be a reason to worship and praise Him. The Scottish theologian, Donald Gee writes, “God defers judgment, not because He is not interested in righteousness, but because He is longsuffering with human sin and rebellion. The reason is not that God is otiose and does not care. Rather it is that He cares so much that He is prepared to suffer an attitude towards His divine majesty that must be obnoxious beyond anything we can understand, in order that men may have the maximum opportunity to repent.” Our admonishment then is to emulate the Father by loving our enemies, bless them that curse us, and do good to those that hate us–in other words, show patience.
“O Lord, You know; Remember me and visit me, And take vengeance for me on my persecutors. In Your enduring patience, do not take me away. Know that for Your sake I have suffered rebuke.”
–Jeremiah 15:15(NKJV)
——————————————-
I want patience and I want it now! Are you glad that God doesn’t have to get patience? Patience is simply a display of His mercy, Psalms 145:8 states, “The Lord is full of compassion, slow to anger.” This is one attribute of God that I’m very thankful for. Without the patience of God where in the world would you and I be?
Arthur Pink defines the patience of God this way, “that power of control which God exercises over Himself, causing Him to bear with the wicked and forbear so long in punishing them.” The prophet Nahum says that, “The Lord is slow to anger and great in power.” The patience of God is that excellency which causes Him to sustain great injuries without immediately avenging Himself. Many times we do not show patience because we lack or do not take control of our passions. We want to act immediately. If you don’t think so, just go out and take a drive, especially during rush hour. Does it cause your blood pressure to rise? Or are you like me, and get upset at the arrogance and stupidity of those on the road? Patience is not only God showing that He is slow to anger, but wisdom, self-control, and mercy are intertwined with His patience. When we read in Scripture that the “Lord is long-suffering,” it is speaking of His power of self-restraint.
“Now may the God of patience…” (Romans 15:5) Just stop and think of that phrase for a moment. What is it that you want God to be patience in, over? First of all we know that God is patient in His dealings with sinners. He doesn’t strike them down with a whim. He is patient, allowing them either to repent or their sin to fill the cup. Plus the fact that God forewarns those in which He is going to “lose His patience with.” In the day of Noah, He warned the people, He waited, and all the time He had a preacher of righteousness warning them. Today, instead of striking down He allows “nations to walk in their own ways.” He has grace prepared, mercy in His wings, if only they repent. But for a time, He shows patience.
Israel is a prime example of how God is patient with nations and His people. In the wilderness, He was patience–forty years worth of patience in dealing with that stiff-necked bunch. He sent judges to Israel to deliver them. He did not destroy them though they had wicked kings and followed their dictates. There is another case of His warnings–He sent the prophets. Finally, He sent them into exile, but He maintained a remnant, and eventually there was the dispersion but even in that God was patient and brought the nation back together in 1948.
I look at the news and wonder how much longer God will hold in His patience. Billy Graham said, “If God does not bring judgment upon America He will have to apologize for Sodom and Gomorrah.” How dare puny man challenge God, mock Him, sully His name, and blaspheme His word. Why does not the righteous wrath of God make an end to the abominations of earth? Patience. Patience and His divine decrees. There will be a day when He says, “enough is enough,” and the time of the Tribulation will be upon the earth.
But what about us? God has patience with each of us and that should be a reason to worship and praise Him. The Scottish theologian, Donald Gee writes, “God defers judgment, not because He is not interested in righteousness, but because He is longsuffering with human sin and rebellion. The reason is not that God is otiose and does not care. Rather it is that He cares so much that He is prepared to suffer an attitude towards His divine majesty that must be obnoxious beyond anything we can understand, in order that men may have the maximum opportunity to repent.” Our admonishment then is to emulate the Father by loving our enemies, bless them that curse us, and do good to those that hate us–in other words, show patience.