Philippians 1:6 NKJV being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
Recently, the Lord showed me another reason He answered my prayer years ago in His way, NOT mine. He brought to my attention another area in which I need to mature. Patience!
All my life. I have been told I am patient. Well, not so much! At least my Lord does not think so. As He continues to reveal how little patience I actually have, I have been humbled and blessed by how much He has for me.
James 1:2-3 NKJV My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, [3] knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
It took me years to “count it all joy” when trials came into my life. But God did not give up on me and he won’t give up on you.
The Greek commentator Oesterley said this word patience described “the frame of mind which endures.” (Guzik BLB).
At its root, it means to remain under. It has the picture of someone under a heavy load and choosing to stay there instead of trying to escape. (Guzik BLB).
I was a master escape artist before realizing God wants us to endure the trials. By trying to avoid the hard, we lose the beauty and blessings that will come from the growth of our faith in Him..
“We notice that it is faith that is tested, and it shows that faith is important and precious — because only precious things are tested so thoroughly.” (Guzik BLB).
“Faith is as vital to salvation as the heart is vital to the body: hence the javelins of the enemy are mainly aimed at this essential grace.” (Spurgeon BLB).
Counting it all joy is faith’s response to a time of trial. (Guzik BLB).
Recently I wrote, “Cannot believe it is Friday again. One week prior, I was sitting in this exact spot, speechless, unable to think, too tired, wanting so badly to make the right decision.” I was so sad that my beautiful granddaughter and I were unable to get on our scheduled flight the night before. At the same time, I was so impressed at how well she handled the situation. Her patience abounded during the four hour debacle that ended in us being grounded. And I too remained patient with the chaos the airline put us through. It was through God’s grace, faith that He had a purpose, and a strong desire to help her stay calm, that I accomplished this.
But now, the next morning, I sat frozen, wanting to make the right choice. I was growing so impatient with myself, because I needed to make some quick decisions, and I had brain fog.
We were rebooked on a flight for that evening, leaving from Atlantic City instead of Philadelphia. Flights were being canceled all over the world. There were so many logistics to consider. What ifs were racing through my brain. A friend who is a limo driver texted to let me know he doubted we would get out that night.
Thankfully, again through prayer and conversation with a sister in Christ and one of my sons, I was able to put thoughts together and come up with a plan.
James 1:4 Let patience have its perfect work in you.
As I watched Alana entertaining herself, patiently waiting to know if we were going to the airport to get her first plane ride, I chose faith, made a decision and set out.
After a long train ride, followed by a car ride, we arrived at the airport and were told the plane had been delayed about 40 minutes. That is how the chaos started the night before… Had I made the wrong decision? Was this going to be a repeat of the day before?
The plane did take off this time.
The original three and a half day trip shrunk to twenty-four hours. We did not get to visit our friends, nor spend a couple hours at the beach. We arrived at our destination at midnight, woke in the morning, got to work loading a trailer to be driven back to NJ by my dear cousins. They left soon after we finished. We had about two hours to unwind before heading out for the two hour drive to the airport.
So, what was this trial about? It was about taking a step of faith and putting my trust in God while counting it ALL joy. From the moment our original flight was canceled to the end of the trip I worked on remaining patient.
The blessings that came from the trial were so much greater than the pain and physical exhaustion. I had the privilege to accompany a six year old on her first plane ride. And because of the change in plans, we flew out in daylight instead of the dark. Her excitement and wonder were God’s gift to me.
As I drove us back to the airport, the quiet in the car was interrupted with frantic screaming, “Una, Una, look, there is a real rainbow in the sky. I am seeing my first real rainbow. Get a picture, Thank you Jesus! Thank you Jesus!” Thank you, Jesus!”
Since we returned two weeks ago, she has learned to ride her bike without training wheels, and all kinds of new things at gymnastics. She held a snake, and is learning to read. But God! The busyness increases, and continually, I am in need of patience. But every time Alana stops in public, hands folded, and head bowed, to ask Jesus for help, I lock the sight into memory. And praise my Savior for what she is learning.
God is good all the time. When I grow impatient with her learning processes, and the time they take away from what I want to do, He gently reminds me how patient and faithful He has been with me as I learn and grow in Him.
When we encounter the trials God sets before us, we are to count them all joy. Not for the joy they will bring, although they often do. We are to count them all joy, for they help us conform more to the image of Christ and prove God’s faithfulness to complete the work He started in us.
Be patient. God is doing a work. We cannot see the whole picture, so we must walk in faith. And remember, it is ALL for His Glory.
Patience! Be Still and Know – I AM GOD. And I am teaching you about patience – My Patience for you – and how to have that patience for others.
Hebrews 10:36 NKJV For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
Ask yourself, are you enduring or trying to escape? I pray you exercise your faith muscles and count it ALL joy.
Janice S.