Proverbs 19:3 (NLT) “People ruin their own lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the lord.” Matthew 5:22 (KJV) “But I (Jesus) say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment…” Have a short fuse, about to go off, blow your top, have a hair trigger temper, lose your cool, lay your religion down…these idioms are expressions of how we describe […]
For many, Christmas shopping means long lines, rude cashiers, and pushy people. Shoppers stand in line praying for patience, wishing for kindness from the cashiers, and goodness from the other shoppers. For them, it will take the intervention of a supernatural power for them to survive. Believers have the Holy Spirit as a guide and are in possession of Fruit of the Spirit. One attribute of the Fruit of the Spirit is patience. It is […]
The Bible records the history of its many faith-based leaders such as Abraham, David, Moses, and Joshua. These leaders sought God’s will in every exploit and battle; however, not only did they seek God but they also believed God and obeyed Him. Hebrews 11 lists these men and women of God whose faith promoted them in the spirit realm and gives a brief commentary on what it means to be a faith-based leader. Close To […]
“David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth…the child died…Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the Lord, and worshipped…” 2 Samuel 12:16, 18a, 20a David did all he could for God to spare his and Bathsheba’s first son, but the child died. After fasting, praying, and lying prostrate […]
As children of God, our souls pine for their reunion with Christ. We travel this earth for a while, but we know it is not our home. Our souls know this, and so we are never quite comfortable with the notion that Earth is where we belong. With every part of our being, we long to meet with our Savior in that home beyond the sky. It’s in 2 Corinthians that Paul describes this feeling […]
We are children of God, and much like children, we can find waiting on God very trying. Not knowing or understanding God’s ultimate plan can make us impatient. It is easy to forget that we can only see part of God’s plan; the windows we are given are still partially veiled. We are called to trust in God and wait patiently for His plan to unfold. The Bible is filled with stories of believers who […]
One of the greatest blessings of our walk here on earth is the relationship we share with God. We are blessed with the love and peace that surpasses all understanding. That is the very reason we want to share it. The divine nature of our walk with God is inexplicable, but something we want everyone to know and share. That great blessing can also be our greatest weakness; after all, how do you explain the […]
Consider the patience of a mother comforting her new-born baby, or a loving father playing catch with his child for the first time. In these instances, having patience seems almost instinctual. Being patient with those we love can seem easy. However, remaining patient takes practice, even when those we love trigger us! Maybe the baby is inconsolable, or the child struggles to catch the ball according to our expectations. Either way, the true measure of […]
The King James Version of the Bible translates the word patience as longsuffering. Longsuffering can most clearly be explained as having a long temper. Though we’ve heard plenty about small tempers and short fuses, a long temper is not something we’ve heard much about. That’s likely because it’s easier for us to imagine God much like ourselves, short-temper included. As we peer into our own lives, consider the depth and length of God’s temper, which […]
