“…Ye have heard of the patience of Job…” (Jm. 5:11) When we think of patience we usually think of someone in the Bible like Job, or internationally known like Gandhi, or living a life of servitude like Mother Teresa, or maybe even ourselves (not me though!!!) or a friend who is going through a lot. Many of us have learned patience one way or another: years waiting to get pregnant, children with diseases, unsaved spouse or loved ones, constant turmoil in the home, aging parents who need support… There are all kinds of ways we learn patience, but just the other day I was wondering who the most patient person I know is, and I realized I needed to look a ‘little higher’ than the earth.
He’s ‘put up’ with me for more than 45 years and anyone who knows me would say, that’s a lot to put up with J, but He’s ‘put up’ with my Mom longer than that. I won’t say how old she is but in 21 years she will have lived a century! Our God, Jehovah, I Am, the Creator of the universe has been very patient with me, but has been patient with mankind “but is longsuffering to us-ward” (2Pt. 3:9) for millennia- over 6000 years! That would be 4000ish from Adam to Christ and 2000ish since then. That’s a long time!
The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression… Nm. 14:18 (longsuffering and patient are synonymous)
But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. Ps. 86:15
What has He been patient with in us? Well, our rejection of who He is, our continual sin, our idol worship, our mistreatment of others (He made us all!): lack of compassion, selfishness, oppression of nations, genocide, starvation, trying to remain in control, etc. We certainly haven’t been ‘loving our neighbours as ourselves’. We walk around with our toys, driving our new cars and eating well, when our neighbours aren’t able to make bill payments, eat barely enough, losing houses, unable to pay for prescriptions, etc. (These words are just as tough on me as they are on you.)
We bless God on our good days, but get mad at Him when things go wrong, especially long term troubles, as if we don’t deserve to experience grief, sorrow, and trials. We outright or subconsciously accuse God of being unjust when we shake our fist in anger and shout “Why”. I know because I have experienced this many times, much to my regret.
And yet, He looks after us and has allowed man to try and learn from the natural consequences of our choices. From what I see, it isn’t going very well so far. He even gave His Son to help, and then left the manual for living (Bible) to help us along the way, and we aren’t doing much better than those 5000 years ago. Never fear though- God has a plan!
For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience (endurance) and comfort (encouragement) of the scriptures might have hope. Rom. 15:4
We can learn from the past things that were written and learn endurance through trials with the encouragement of scriptures to give us hope and help us through. And while we are learning patience, we need to remember, though God is patient with us (mankind) it will not always be that way. I have read the last book of the Bible, and God’s judgment is coming for all, Christians (Judgment Seat of Christ) and non-Christians (White Throne of God). God’s patience with mankind’s sin/ behaviour will come to an end, but God and His kingdom (with us in it) never will!
And what a glorious kingdom it will be!!!