Psalm 40 starts with, “I waited patiently for the Lord . . . .” and my first thought is that I’ve never waited patiently for anything.
Maybe that’s a bit harsh. I wait patiently at checkout lineups (what are the options?) and for traffic lights. But given options, I’m not a very patient person. Besides, someone once told me “Never pray for patience; the Bible says tribulations produce patience and you don’t want that!”
It’s true. James 1 says, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
No one can avoid trials. They are part of life and usually misunderstood as to their purpose. Most of us think difficulties are random and have no purpose, or maybe the devil sent them to discourage us, or God gives them as punishment for something, or they are just there to mess up our lives. None of that describes the purpose of God in allowing trials. He wants me to trust Him in them, to wait patiently for Him, and let Him have His way in my life. He wants my maturity more than my comfort. Ouch. Is God really like that?
Most of us get our concept of God from our parents. When I was young I had a life-threatening illness. My parents were told I would not live beyond mid-teens. Although well-meaning, instead of teaching me life-skills, they ‘made me comfortable’ — an nice way to say that I was indulged, given whatever I wanted. I don’t recall being a tyrant about it, but I do know that my concept of God was that He would do the same. Imagine my surprise . . .
Yet God is good. The psalmist says that when he waited patiently for the Lord, “He inclined to me, and heard my cry.”
God does hear my cry. He cares about me so much that He sent Jesus to die for me. He accepted me into His family, spoiled brat that I am, but He loves me too much to leave me like that. Instead, He sends trials to help me become less a brat and more like His Son. Jesus, “for the joy set before Him endured the cross . . . “ and by staying there under such severe trial, He became my example for patient endurance in all things. This includes the everyday stuff like traffic and crowds, too much email, never enough hours in the day and aching feet, to the not-so-everyday pressures like editorial deadlines, a death in the family, or my husband’s illness—none of which are solved by impatience.
In a line-up yesterday, I told my granddaughter who was trying to find a shorter line, that this was an opportunity to practice patience. She agreed. Now if I can only remember to practice what I preach.
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