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God's Words For US
by Cecelia Lester
Patience, Peace
Patience
As a society, our nation’s people show a lack of patience. Fast food restaurants and microwave ovens have caused us to be impatient in all areas of life. As we await decisions from courts, we become anxious. If we were honest about it, we grumble to ourselves when our computers do not respond to commands fast enough.
Patience is the ability to endure to bear trials without grumbling. 1We often hear of “the patience of Job.” He lost all he had—property, livestock, and children. His wife told him he should curse God. However, Job chose not to do that. He sat back and listened as four ‘friends’ told him how to look at this circumstance in which Job found himself. What impresses me about these ‘friends’ is they didn’t quite get it right.
Earlier in the Old Testament, we have Sarah who became impatient and took things into her own hands. She gave her handmaid, Hagar, to Abraham in order so that a child would belong to them. Sarah made a huge mistake by running ahead of God. We still deal with the consequences of that action.
The Apostle Paul tells us that patience is a fruit of the Spirit. (Gal.5:22) People advise us NOT to pray for it. The theory behind this counsel is when we pray for it; God will allow events happen to us that will cause us to develop it.
Peace
Peace is the presence and experience of right relationships. 2Our world desires peace even with the many hot spots across the globe.
Jesus is called The Prince of Peace. We learn as young Christians to give Him our trials and our issues in order to find peace in our hearts. When we face new issues, we have to go through the process of seeking and talking to Him.
People who go through the harshest times and eventually manage to keep contact with God come to the place where they can say, “I’m at peace with this.” This peace goes against human nature because it does not come from humans but from God. (John 14:27, NIV)
I remember reading in a devotional magazine about a picture demonstrating the concept of peace. The artist had placed a bird to the forefront of the picture; in the background was a waterfall with the foam and mist arising from pool at the bottom of the falls. The bird represented serenity; the waterfall represented trials. The mist and the foam depicted the anxiety and stress that trials bring. The focus was on the bird because it seemed unscathed by the activity caused by the waterfall. 3
In our 21Century world, we need to find a way to achieve personal peace through Jesus. Then we need to communicate the source of that heart serenity to those around us.
1.) Guideposts Family Concordance © 1982. Thomas Nelson Inc. page 513
2.) Ibid. page 515
3.) Our Daily Bread, Grand Rapids, MI, I am sorry; I cannot remember the issue.
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Cecelia Lester has been serious about her writing for over two decades..
She composes Christian essays and posts them to her blog quietspirit-followingmyking.blogspot.com/
She has served in a faith-based organization, Grace In Action by writing two newsletters and searching for possible grants.
In July 2017, she published her first book, 'Times of Trouble Bring Rays of Joy.'
She and her husband of 54 years live in central Indiana. They have one grown son.
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