THE PATIENCE OF GOD

“I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners,
Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example
for those who would believe on Him and receive eternal life.”
1 Timothy 1:16

If you frequently attend worship services, then you’ve heard of the patience of Job.
However, if you read the book of Job, you will see a long list of complaints.

Job cried out in protest against God.
Even his friends were shocked at his disrespectful anger.
Most of us would be afraid to talk to God that way.

God, however, did not “zap” Job.
In fact, God ordered Job’s pious comforters to seek repentance through Job,
the very source of so many heated complaints.
“After the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite,
‘I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me,
as my servant Job has.  So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job
and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you,
and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly.
You have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has.’
So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite
did what the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.”
Job 42:7-9

Don’t you love that about our Father God?
Job was a man who was only human and reacted as a human might.
He did show patience in the fact that he refused to curse God and die.
But it was the Lord who showed the very best of what it means to be patient.
God, as it says elsewhere in Scripture,
refused to break the bruised reed or snuff out the smoldering wick.

In the book of Job, we see the patience of God above the patience of Job.
The God of Job (our Father) defends the hurting, uplifts the oppressed,
and listens to the complaints of the suffering.
He may not respond to our questions with neat, pat answers,
but He will answer our questions with His own patience.

Would you be as patient with yourself as God is with you?
Be honest, how often do you disappoint the Lord?
Think about how you feel when others disappoint you.
Are you patient with them, or do you over-react?
Is you attitude, “I’m going to straighten them out!”?
Have you ever thanked God for His patience with you?
During your next prayer time, thank your heavenly Father
for being patient with you and ask Him to help you with your own patience.