Tuesday, March 6, 2018

 

 
Devotional for Tuesday, March 6, 2018
“God’s Perfect Patience At Work In You”
 
 
 
 
by Dona Hake
 
 
 
James 1:3-4 Amplified Bible (AMP)
3 “Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing.”
 
 
 
 
When we step out in faith, we all know that there are times of waiting. Sometimes within that time of waiting great patience must be exercised for us to continue to stand. James writes here that patience has a good end result. God‘s patience developed in us will always makes us mature and complete.
 
We probably do not realize how many times we are called upon to be patient even in the smallest things in our life. Those long lines in the grocery store, the slow driver on the road that is keeping us from getting to an appointment on time… Many times it is in the little things that our patience fails because we overlook asking God for help. Only the patience that comes from above that is developed within our soul is the patience that will help us forbear the smallest or toughest situations. I love the scripture from Proverbs 19.
 
Proverbs 19:11 Easy to Read version “Experience makes you more patient, and you are most patient when you ignore insults.“
 
I find this scripture interesting for many times we can feel we need to be quick to speak and react to insults rather than patiently endure and just forgive. I especially like this translation because I think the more we go on in life, we walk through such hurtful experiences, and we need to seek our Lord to understand life and its trials in a deeper way. In any trying situation no matter how big or small, if we allow the Lord to teach us, we will walk away with more wisdom. Here is another translation that brings us another side of understanding His patience and forgiveness.
 
Proverbs 19:11 The Message version
 “Smart people know how to hold their tongue; there grandeur is to forgive and forget.“
 
Today I want to encourage you to ask your loving Heavenly Father to help you grow in patience, and then take opportunity to extend forgiveness even in those times that seem difficult. Extending God’s forgiveness is part of walking in God’s patience. I promise you that as you walk in patience, longsuffering, and forgiveness your soul will be kept at peace.