He Is Patient With Us

What a wonderful Savior who expresses a deep, abiding patience with us.

2 Peter 3:9 says "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (NIV).

On that day when we stand before the Lord to give an account of our lives, no one would dare accuse God of failing or giving up on us so we weren't able to obey His call on our lives.

So why do we give up so easily? Why do we surrender to trials with a sigh of resignation when we have a trusting and faithful Friend to help us?

One of the fruits of the Spirit is long suffering (Galatians 5:22). It's word we don't use in our common English language. Perhaps it's one of those words we rather much avoid in a fast paced world. Why wait when you can have it all, right now and right here! In the original Greek the word for long suffering is made of two parts to mean "waiting for sufficient time to express anger".

Beloved, the reason why many of us struggle with impatience is because there is a root of anger in our hearts. When things don't go our way we get angry. Sure we will wait hours for a ticket to a concert or sports event. But should someone cuts you off in traffic and you pound your fist on the steering wheel. Or you don't get that well deserved promotion so you feel overlooked and angry. The anger we experience demands some measure of justice we rightfully deserve for those who had mistreated us.

Until we go back to the verse in 2 Peter and understand the patience of a God who waits for us to respond when He calls so often to turn us away from a certain destruction - one that we deserve - but one He wants to prevent. We appreciate His patience toward us to save us it will extend to those who are less patient and even undeserving.