Patient Endurance

-


Scripture:

Hebrews 6:15
And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise.

Observation:

God had made a promise to Abraham but the fulfillment of that promise was not in an instant. Rather, there would be a lengthy period of time before he would see that promise come to fruition. As a result, Abraham’s character as a man of patient endurance lives on, and his endurance bore fruit as he was able to obtain the promise, not just for himself but for all of the children of Abraham who would come later.

Application:

We live in a world that is influenced by Moore’s Law. “Moore's law is the observation that the number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit doubles about every two years.” (Wiki) Now, you may wonder what that has to do with anything, but it has a lot to do with our lives. The world is changing and adapting at a faster rate than humanity has ever experienced because of the ability to build smaller and faster technology. If you feel overwhelmed, you probably are because the rate of change is now faster than the human’s ability to adapt. Therefore we constantly live with pressure to do things quickly, and patient endurance is no longer seen as a virtue.

Succumbing to the pressures of culture and society should not be signs of the Christian walk. Therefore, the patient endurance found in the life of Abraham should be something to emulate in the life of a believer. We don’t need everything right now. We don’t need to give into the pressure of society to make immediate decisions. We can wait expectantly upon God’s promises and know that they are true. 

While we wait, we slow down and learn more about God’s character. It’s in the relationship that we are formed. It was through life experiences that Abraham ultimately became the man who could converse with God. Without the journey of patient endurance we would never discover who we can become in Christ. We would end far too soon, instantly gratified.

No matter what we are facing, may God give us the grace to endure patiently. Along the journey may we willingly be forged into the likeness of Christ, revealing the patient work of the Master.

Prayer:


Lord, may I learn the virtue of patient endurance. Amen. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Take Off Your Ornaments

-
Scripture: Ex. 33:4 ¶ When the people heard these harsh words, they mourned, and no one put on ornaments. Ex. 33:5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, and I will decide what to do to you.’” Ex. 33:6 Therefore the Israelites stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. Observation: The people had sinned before God by making and worshiping the golden calf!  They had taken their golden jewelry — the earrings and other items they had gotten from the Egyptians and used them to create an idol.  Now, in an act of humility and repentance they were to take off all of their jewelry and ornaments.  It was a time of mourning over their sin and it included intentional action on the part of the Israelites.  Application: We don’t do all that well with humility and repentance!  It seems that we live in a ti...
Read more

Does God Value Boys More than Girls?

-
Scripture: Lev. 12:1 ¶ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Lev. 12:2 Speak to the people of Israel, saying: ¶ If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be ceremonially unclean seven days; as at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. Lev. 12:3 On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Lev. 12:4 Her time of blood purification shall be thirty-three days; she shall not touch any holy thing, or come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification are completed. Lev. 12:5 If she bears a female child, she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation; her time of blood purification shall be sixty-six days. Lev. 12:6 ¶ When the days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. Lev. 12:7 He shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement on her ...
Read more

On Grief and A Flute Player

-
Scripture: Matt. 9:23 When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, Matt. 9:24 he said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. Matt. 9:25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. Matt. 9:26 And the report of this spread throughout that district. Observation: This is a simple story which we have heard or read numerous times. Jesus heals the little girl and the people rejoice. But at the moment in which he arrives at the home he encounters the professional mourners. These are the flute players, the ones who have come to make a great noise about the child’s death. It is the flute player that testifies to the fact that she is truly dead. Also, flutes were generally employed when it came to the death of a child. The whole community would therefore understand that it is a child who has died in this home. The flute player is doing the job they have ...
Read more