The God of Patience

Now the God of patience and
consolation grant you to be
likeminded one toward another
according to Christ Jesus. 
Romans 15:5

This morning, while I remain on bed rest, another man who lives in the same cell block as me... 

...and attends our chapel's services and Bible studies, stopped by for a visit. I could tell he had something on his mind, too. He had a downcast countenance. He then told me of a struggle he's been having with a particular sin. I sensed he was at a point of giving up his efforts to get the victory over this weak area of his flesh.

So after a brief time of prayer together, I led him to Romans chapter fifteen. I had been reading this chapter earlier, so it was fresh on my mind. We looked at verse five, which says that God is a patient being. In fact, He is actually called the "God of Patience."

I therefore told my friend that the Lord is very patient with us. He sees our heart and takes notice of our struggles. He also hears our prayers. Plain and simple, Jesus doesn't give up on anyone when we truly desire to get the victory over sin.

I then explained that because God is patient with us, we need to demonstrate the same godly patience with ourselves. Oftentimes we're too critical with ourselves. When we fail the Lord or think we've failed Him, we get discouraged and may even consider giving up. We get tired of trying and want to quit. But God, however, is longsuffering toward us. I could almost hear Him saying in a loving, fatherly and confident tone of voice, "My son, hang in there and keep your trust in Me."

D.B.