Verse:
“We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience.” Romans 5:3
Lesson:
The toughest times in life are those moments when all we know about God doesn’t help us get results! That’s when we learn about His silence. Whenever God doesn’t say a word, He’s: (a) teaching, even in the stillness (b) allowing us to grow by forcing us to think, study, and arrive at conclusions, while He stands by with a hushed smile and a watchful eye.
Faith comes by hearing. Patience comes by silence! Patience is what God gives you when bad things remain unchanged. Its His sedative for the troubled heart. Its the balm He rubs into your aching muscles when you feel as if you’re being stretched to the breaking point. These are the times when the pain lasts so long that only God can release the patience required, the sheer grace to sustain you through it. The truth is, patience is just strength harnessed, power focused, and faith taking its time.
Listen: Keep your eyes on Jesus, Who both began and finished this race were in. Study how He did it. Because He never lost sight of where He was headed ¬ that exhilarating finish in and with God ¬ He could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now He’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourself flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility He plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! (Hebrews 12:1-3 TM).
Prayer:
“Lord, we thank you for the trials and tribulations you give us that they may make us stronger in our Faith and in You. Grant us wisdom to be still and listen to what you are teaching us, in love, and in patience.” – Amen