“By your patience, possess your soul.”
(Luke 21:19)
“Those times when you feel like quitting can be times of great opportunity, for God uses your troubles to help you grow; because some of your greatest blessings come with patience.” (Warren Wiersbe)
This morning in my daily reading of the Word, I came across this passage. I’m not sure I’ve ever read it before.
Jesus had just finished sharing with His disciples about the coming times and how basically, things are going to become difficult and living in this world will become more challenging; to the point of followers of Him being called out because of their faith in Jesus.
His encouragement was that when they began to see things around them going haywire, and how disinterested and unreceptive their message and unbelievers suddenly become targets, facing real time persecution for their beliefs, know that it’s time to be patient, because Jesus will be returning for His bride.
This time of Patience is a time of sowing and watering and…..remain patient for the Harvest of souls. The souls of people in and around our lives are at this minute are perishing. Were it not for the Lord’s patience and long suffering, they might not make it out.
Reading the Word I sometimes find myself “running red lights “…., and what causes us to run red lights?
You got it, impatience. Sometimes in our pursuit of nurturing our spiritual lives, we too find ourselves speed reading and missing the important lessons God is so willing to give.
‘Slow down child, trust Me’.
Even though we think we know about what is coming next before His (Jesus)return for His bride (Us the church) we can sometimes get too far ahead and miss the opportunity of sharing our testimony to someone God brought across our path because we missed the opportunity because of impatience…
All the to say that if you’re still reading this, be encouraged, you have been patient.
I found this short thought that I pray will strengthen your resolve to pursue what Jesus was saying in this passage today:
‘Patience will strengthen the spirit,
Patience will help calm the temper,
Patience will overpower anger,
Patience will extinguish envy,
Patience will defeat pride,
Patience will help bridle the tongue,
Patience will restrain the hand,
Patience will crush temptation. ‘
“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1)
What an important bit of instruction! “In patience.”
God help me! I find myself so impatient when it comes to the things of God.
“In your patience possess ye your souls.”
God, give me patience!
Walking the Berean Road 