Category Archives: Patience

With These Two Hands: Bible Ballistics: BBs #569

10 Wednesday Jul 2019

Posted by in A Father's Love, Bibe Study, Blessed by God, God's Faithfulness, Patience, Peace, The Word, Wait on the Lord, Weariness

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #569   With These Two Hands???

 

“But they that wait upon the LORD

shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up

with wings as eagles;

they shall run,

and not be weary;

and they shall walk,

and not faint.”   Isaiah 40:31

Isaiah’s prophecy was of God’s coming judgment for the sin of Israel.  I can’t help but think how much this comforting, yet convicting message is to me. We are called to “wait upon the LORD”, yet so many of our problems come because we aren’t willing to “wait upon the LORD”!  I know in my own life, I have often become impatient and fidgety for my own way, in my own time, and I have left God at the gate (so to speak).  Rather than waiting for God’s way, plan, timing and provision. Almost like what Solomon describes in his wonderful painting of love in The Song Of Solomon—a picture of Christ Jesus’ love for us!  Kind of like the old saying, “I hear you knocking, but you can’t come in!”

“I sleep, but my heart waketh:

it is the voice of my beloved

that knocketh, saying,

Open to me, my sister,

my love, my dove,

my undefiled:

for my head is filled with dew,

and my locks with the drops

of the night.

3 I have put off my coat;

how shall I put it on?

I have washed my feet;

how shall I defile them?

 4 My beloved put in his hand

by the hole of the door,

and my bowels were moved for him.

5 I rose up to open to my beloved;

and my hands dropped with myrrh,

and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh,

upon the handles of the lock.

6 I opened to my beloved;

but my beloved had withdrawn himself,

and was gone:

my soul failed when he spake:

I sought him,

but I could not find him;

I called him,

but he gave me no answer.”    Song Of Solomon 5:2-6

God will not always wait for us to hear and obey—how often do we let the opportunity pass to have intimate fellowship and relationship with our Lord?  As God said in Noah’s day:

“And the LORD said,

My spirit shall not always strive with man,”   Genesis 6:3a

Whether we are talking about the lost heeding the call of The Holy Spirit, or the saved yielding to His voice to our heart, it is a tragic thing in our lives to walk our own way rather than “wait upon the LORD”!  Oh, how often I have made wrong choices and decisions ‘with these two hands’—doing my own thing because I wasn’t willing to “wait upon the LORD” to speak, to reveal HIS will, to direct my steps, to show me the way, to adjust my thinking!  How about you? Ever ‘been there, done that’?  I think we all have, but may we ponder the things of God and fill our hearts with His Word, so we can grow in His power.  James said it best, so I’d like to close with a reminder of the need to endure trials, times of waiting, and/or times of confusion and anxiety.  God never fails, and if we will but “lean not to your own understanding” and “wait upon the LORD”, we will find Him faithful, and can live with that “peace of God, which passeth all understanding” and not regrets!  Oh, to keep my hands off—and HIS hands on.  For even when we can’t see HIS hand, we can trust HIS heart, His character, His purposes, and HIS timing!  Oh, me!

“My brethren,

count it all joy

when ye fall into divers temptations;

3 Knowing this,

that the trying of your faith

worketh patience.

4 But let patience

have her perfect work,

that ye may be perfect

and entire,

wanting nothing.

5 If any of you lack wisdom,

let him ask of God,

that giveth to all men liberally,

and upbraideth not;

and it shall be given him.”  James 1:2-5

Blessings on your day, and may you come to “know” this.

Amen and Amen!

 

 

 

 

Did You Say Wait??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #430

24 Wednesday Jan 2018

Posted by in Confidence, Knowing God's Word, Patience, Perseverance, The Word, Thy Will Be Done, Wait on the Lord

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #430    Did You Say Wait???

 

Today is a reminder for me!!! We are going through some ‘season-of-life’ changes, and that can often cause us to take our focus off of Jesus and let it slip onto our circumstances—and when the big “W” word is involved, it can become a real challenge. So I want to share with you the reminder that I need today—God is in charge and when He asks me to “wait”, HE is working where I can’t see, and I can trust HIM!

What we have to decide is whether we are just going to talk about “trusting” God with everything, or if we are truly going to “let go….and let God” do whatever pleases Him, and wait for His purposes to come to pass! With this in mind, I’m sharing one of my favorite ‘reminder’ passages with you today, and I hope it will encourage us both to stay focused on our Lord and His will—rather than the frustrations that life can bring, especially when it involves ‘waiting’!

“Trust in the LORD,

and do good;

so shalt thou dwell in the land,

and verily thou shalt be fed.

4 Delight thyself also in the LORD;

and he shall give thee the desires

of thine heart.

5 Commit thy way unto the LORD;

trust also in him;

and he shall bring it to pass.

6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness

as the light,

and thy judgment

as the noonday.

7 Rest in the LORD,

and wait patiently

for him:

fret not thyself

because of him who prospereth

in his way,

because of the man who

bringeth wicked devices to pass.

8 Cease from anger,

and forsake wrath:

fret not thyself

in any wise

to do evil.”   Psalm 37:3-8

Simple, but “NOT” so easy—but do-able as we follow God’s instruction from the Psalmist:

Trust God—and do right–

Delight in God—and He will provide—

Commit it all to God —and He will accomplish it—

Trust it all to God—for He knows the right timing–

Rest In The Lord—remember, He’s got it—

Wait patiently for HIM—for God never fails—

Don’t fret over wicked people—God sees the truth—

When we will give all these things to our Lord, He will enable us to have victory in:

Ceasing from anger—

Forsaking wrath (another word for anger)—

Not thinking/fretting about doing evil—

May we each search our own heart, seek God’s face and pursue HIS righteousness through the power of Jesus, the leading of His Holy Spirit, and the truth of His Word.

I’m praying for you and covet your prayers for us—then we’ll all benefit and draw nearer to The One who hears and answers prayer. Amen and Amen.

 

 

Drought And Patience??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #416

01 Friday Dec 2017

Posted by in Abundant Life In Jesus, Confidence, Drought & Patience?, Faithful is He that has Promised!, Knowing God's Word, My Grace Is Sufficient, Patience, Perseverance, The Word, Thy Will Be Done, Trials, Troubles, Walking With Jesus

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #416 Drought And Patience???

 

“Be patient therefore, brethren,

unto the coming of the Lord.

Behold, the husbandman waiteth

for the precious fruit of the earth,

and hath long patience for it,

until he receive the early

and latter rain.

8 Be ye also patient;

stablish your hearts:

for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

9 Grudge not one against another, brethren,

lest ye be condemned:

behold, the judge standeth

before the door.

10 Take, my brethren, the prophets,

who have spoken in the name of the Lord,

for an example of suffering affliction,

and of patience.

11 Behold, we count them happy which endure.

Ye have heard of the patience of Job,

and have seen the end of the Lord;

that the Lord is very pitiful,

and of tender mercy.” James 5:7-11 

We talked last time about rain and the need to keep short accounts with our personal lives before The Lord Jesus, and today I’d like us to think about the “P” word, and the need for endurance and patience!

James warned his readers about the danger of focusing on riches and material wealth rather than the provision of God. Living here in Oklahoma makes me more aware of drought than I ever have been, for without the rain things get pretty dry, brown and depressing around here. And it is only the provision and power of God that sends the early and the latter rains; and without them it can be disaster! Crops fail, the ponds go dry, the cattle can’t be sustained, and the water sources become desperately depleted. But the Lord is The God who “is very pitiful, and of tender mercy” and when we keep our focus on Him, His will and His Word—we can ‘wait’ for HIS provision–HIS perfect timing. He provides all things according to His will, to accomplish HIS purposes, and He is trustworthy! Always!!!

“Seek ye the LORD

while he may be found,

call ye upon him

while he is near:

7 Let the wicked forsake his way,

and the unrighteous man his thoughts:

and let him return unto the LORD,

and he will have mercy upon him;

and to our God,

for he will abundantly pardon.

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,

saith the LORD.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways,

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 For as the rain cometh down,

and the snow from heaven,

and returneth not thither,

but watereth the earth,

and maketh it bring forth and bud,

that it may give seed to the sower,

and bread to the eater:

11 So shall my word be

that goeth forth out of my mouth:

it shall not return unto me void,

but it shall accomplish that

which I please,

and it shall prosper in the thing

whereto I sent it.”    Isaiah 55:6-11

God’s ways, times, thoughts and purposes are not ours, for His ways are exponentially “higher than your ways”! When the times of drought come, we must keep “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith”; we must exercise that “patience” that we keep saving for another day!! (One of my husband’s favorite expressions is, ‘I have patience, there are just times when I can’t use it!) We must “patiently” wait “for the precious fruit” that God is producing. The farmer never plants the seed and goes out the next day for the harvest!!! It takes “time”! The times of drought may be consuming your thoughts and energy, but keep your eyes on Jesus, the One who has promised to send the rains at the right and proper time!!! He has never let you or me go and we can wait for His timing—simple but not easy. But we can do it—for we are never alone!

“Let your conversation

be without covetousness;

and be content

with such things as ye have:

for he hath said,

I will never leave thee,

nor forsake thee.

6 So that we may boldly say,

The Lord is my helper,

and I will not fear

what man shall do unto me.……

8 Jesus Christ the same

yesterday,

and to day,

and for ever.”   Hebrews 13:5-6 & 8

Remember, He’s on your side today—rain or shine!!!

Thanksgiving Joy??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #413

22 Wednesday Nov 2017

Posted by in Attitude of Gratitude, Confidence, Faithful is He that has Promised!, Gratitude, Longsuffering, Patience, Perseverance, Thanksgiving, The Word

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #413 Thanksgiving Joy????

 

Tomorrow is the day that we celebrate Thanksgiving here in the US, but we ought to be a thankful people every day! What are you thankful for today? Are you thankful? Have the trials and troubles of life drained your ‘attitude of gratitude’? I hope we can boost our thankfulness quotient today as we prepare for a day of celebration, family, reflection, and hopefully time looking up to the One who gave HIS life for us!

One of my favorite ‘thanksgiving’ passages is a little different than you might expect, yet it is a passage that often weighs heavy on my heart, for I need continual reminding of the heart that I desire to live out before the world. A heart of gratitude toward God—but even more!

“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire

that ye might be filled with the knowledge

of his will

in all wisdom

and spiritual understanding;

10 That ye might walk worthy

of the Lord

unto all pleasing,

being fruitful in every good work,

and increasing

in the knowledge of God;

11 Strengthened with all might,

according to his glorious power,

unto all patience

and longsuffering

with joyfulness;

12 Giving thanks unto the Father,

which hath made us meet

to be partakers

of the inheritance

of the saints

in light:”     Colossians 1:9-12

We are called to give “thanks” unto God our Father, but I don’t want us to miss the way we are to be “giving thanks”! We are called to be thankful with “all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness”! Ouch!!! Now you know why I said earlier that this passage weighs heavy on my heart! Not just because sometimes I forget to keep my attitude of gratitude, but also because God calls us to an even higher plain—God calls His own to be thankful with ‘patience’, ‘longsuffering’, and ‘joyfulness’! Oh my, the “P” word! Yes, patience. As my husband is often heard to say, “I have patience, there are just times I can’t use it!” We all have trials that are sent to help us develop patience—and the two words used here—patience and longsuffering—deal with two different aspects of patience; one deals with our circumstances and the other deals with people. We are called to keep a grateful attitude and spirit with patience in our difficult circumstances, and also to “suffer long” with those people in our lives who are so good at ‘pushing our buttons’! Ouch again! But that’s not all—we are to do all this with “joyfulness”! How?

Well, I’m not claiming to have the answer to that question, but I would like to offer some insight, if I can. We can only be ‘joyful’ in difficulties as we remember that it is God who holds us, God who saves us, God who gave His only Son to die for us, God who sustains our every breath, and HE is trustworthy! When we trust in the God who IS able to sustain us, we can have hope in the midst of turmoil, comfort in the midst of pain, and power to overcome our circumstances and the difficult people we encounter.

“Trust in the LORD

with all thine heart;

and lean not

unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways

acknowledge him,

and he shall direct thy paths.”   Proverbs 3:5-6

Trusting God in our difficulties will build our confidence, and as our confidence grows, we will gain more gratitude and be a testament to it in our every way. James reminds us of the import of looking to God in the good times as well as the difficult—because our God is in charge of both.

“My brethren, count it all joy

when ye fall into divers temptations;

3 Knowing this,

that the trying of your faith

worketh patience.

4 But let patience have her perfect work,

that ye may be perfect

and entire, wanting nothing.”   James 1:2-4

When we trust ourselves to God with patience, longsuffering and joy—we will stand out in a world of discontent and continual manipulation! We have a higher call! Will we answer that call today, and take time to focus on being thankful to God? Remember, it is all from HIM!

“Every good gift

and every perfect gift

is from above,

and cometh down

from the Father of lights,

with whom is no variableness,

neither shadow of turning.”     James 1:17

Take some time to count your blessings—they are many!!!

Gratitude With An Attitude??? Bible Ballistics: BBS #412

17 Friday Nov 2017

Posted by in Attitude of Gratitude, Gratitude, Longsuffering, Patience, Thanksgiving

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #412 Gratitude With An Attitude???

 

But not the attitude that you may be thinking about! Paul calls God’s children—believers in Jesus—to be a grateful people but with “a kick”, if you would! We’re not to simply “give thanks” but we are called to express it, in an unexpected way for many. Paul calls us to it in as he offers his prayer for the Colossians.

“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you,

and to desire

that ye might be filled with the knowledge

of his will

in all wisdom

and spiritual understanding;

10 That ye might walk worthy

of the Lord

unto all pleasing,

being fruitful

in every good work,

and increasing in the knowledge

of God;

11 Strengthened with all might,

according to his glorious power,

unto all patience

and longsuffering

with joyfulness;

12 Giving thanks unto the Father,

which hath made us meet (fit)

to be partakers

of the inheritance

of the saints

in light:

13 Who hath delivered us

from the power of darkness,

and hath translated us

into the kingdom

of his dear Son:

14 In whom

we have redemption

through his blood, even the forgiveness

of sins:”    Colossians 1:9-14

Our gratitude is to be to God Almighty who has saved and delivered us from the “power of darkness”! But we’re to be grateful with “all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness”! Oh, no, not the “P” word! Patience? Yes, patience and longsuffering which are two Greek words for the same principle, but one deals with “abiding under” circumstances, and the other with “putting up with” people—patiently! Why? Because we belong to God who extended HIS mercy and grace to us, how much more ought we extend grace and mercy in “patience” with our circumstances and “longsuffering” with other people?

So ponder on this passage today and I pray that God will help each of us measure our attitude by His standard not the world’s! May we rejoice with the Psalmist today!

“O come,

let us sing unto the LORD:

let us make a joyful noise

to the rock of our salvation.

2 Let us come before his presence

with thanksgiving,

and make a joyful noise

unto him with psalms.

3 For the LORD is a great God,

and a great King

above all gods.” Psalm 95:1-3

Amen and Amen!