Hope and Patience

 

Does being patient make you thing of being a patient? I’ve been a patient a couple of times where patience wasn’t needed – a coma will do that to us. It helps us, too, to understand hope and patience and how they work together when we love God.

A large number of people mock Christians because we have faith in something we’ve heard from others but have never seen ourselves. Our Lord has said a blessing for us for just that reason:

Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
(John 20:29 KJV)

Paul also tells us that our hope gives us peace with God:

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:  (Romans 5:1 KJV)

It may have been Paul who defined what faith is:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1 KJV)

All of that is pretty easy for a Christian to accept – but there are verses around them that contain as much truth as these selected. For example, let’s return to Roman’s 5:

By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (Romans 5:2-5 KJV)

Not many people expect to become a Christian only to “glory in tribulations.” Nor do they expect those tribulations to provide patience, experience, and hope. Remember, faith is the substance of things hoped for, so Paul is telling his readers that tribulation will bring hope. Do you really believe that? Have you had a tribulation that brought hope? Built your faith?

When we do, it shows how our patience is in proportion to our belief that God is in absolute control. That hope, along with peace, during our worst times, shows how we have surrendered our lives to God.

I do not believe God causes tribulation for us – but I do believe He allows it to happen to us in this world because we live in an imperfect sinful world. This natural world provides destructive storms, earthquakes, natural disasters in the same way mankind provides liars, thieves, and murderers. God did create this world, but long before He did that there were angels that followed a rebellious leader:

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. (1 Peter 5:8-9 KJV)

In the Bible we have a large number of examples of people who fell for the tempting mirror-images of God’s caring for them. Best examples are the temptations Satan offered Christ told by Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, and Luke 4:1-13.

Temptations offer us what we want. Turning them down to do what is right gives us experience. We gain patience through experience, don’t we? We know that waiting a while is so much better for us rather than yielding to temptation.

We also need to remember that there is life beyond temptation:

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. (1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV)

Patience is listed in some great company:

But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. (1 Timothy 6:11 KJV)

In your patience possess ye your souls. (Luke 21:19 KJV)

Look up patience in your Bible – my King James Version has 33 verses in the New Testament with the word patient in it. Seems to be it’s a pretty good thing to enjoy – and a strong part of our faith. How does it seem to you?