“Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.” Psalm 33:20 The Psalmist grew weary as he waited. He felt abandoned, as if his enemies were gaining the upper hand. When we’re waiting for God to resolve a difficult situation or to answer often repeated prayers, it’s easy to get discouraged. The Psalmist had […]
“Even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.” Colossians 3:13 Before criticizing others we might ask the Lord to reveal our own shortcomings. Prior to ripping out the wires of relationships, we could check to see if patience and forgiveness are connected in our own heart. It’s good to look inside our heart – to check […]
“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His Word I do hope.” Psalm 130:5. God, who is timeless, requires of us a mature faith that may involve delays that seem like trials. Patience is one sign of that maturity, a quality that can develop only through the passing of time. Many prayers in the […]
“The Lord God [is] merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth.” Exodus 34:6. Our heavenly Father would probably say that His spiritual children – people like you and me – can be guilty of pretty exasperating behavior. We’re slow to learn. We have setbacks. We choose to break the rules. We create havoc with the things […]
“…tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character.” Romans 5:3-4. The tests of life can help us develop strong Christian character, but that does not always happen. For example, some people lose patience instead of gaining it when facing a trial. If we are committed to serving the Lord, we can expect to be tested. God uses trials to build […]