What is patience? Where do we get some?
Patience is the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering calmly without getting angry, upset, or complaining.
“cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy:” from the Greek translation of “hupomone”
” Luke 8:15 explains …in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. ” this is the good soil for receiving seed and growing.
The best fruits require time, cultivation, patience. AT Robertson
A good and honest heart? from Luke 8:15?
“The expression rendered ’honest’ (better translated ’noble,’ καλός) has reference to aims or chief ends, and describes one whose mind is raised above moral vulgarity, and is bent, not on money-making and such low pursuits, but on the attainment of wisdom, holiness, and righteousness. The epithet rendered ’good’ (ἀγαθός) denotes generous self-abandonment in the prosecution of lofty ends; large-heartedness, magnanimous, overflowing devotion.” Mary of Bethany, with her devoted love and her generous friendship; the centurion Cornelius, with his fervent piety and his noble generosity towards a despised and hated race;” Pulpit Commentary
Luke21:19 explains “In your patience possess ye your souls.”” win” them. ” …tribulation worketh patience;” Romans 5
Romans 8:25 follows, ” But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.”
Hope seems to be a key to this patience. A confident expectation which can only come from the promise of God. And “through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” patience yields hope (experienced)? see Romans 5:5.
Romans 15:5 Reveals The author, “Now the God of patience and consolation grant you …” Patience comes from fellowship with a living God.
2 Corinthians’ 6:4 — “But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses.”
Friends, ministers find their approvedness in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses –patience producing. And we need supernatural strength in these times for patience, Colossians 1:11 “Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;”
Hebrews admonish in 6:12 “That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” we are going to gain promises, our inheritance. “an infinitude of wealth.” Barnes
With patience we receive promises and with patience we run the Christian race. see Hebrews 12:1
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. James 1:4
, that is, have its full effect, by showing the most perfect degree of endurance, namely, “joy in bearing the cross” JFB
Richard Wurmbrand tells this story, “I had in my congregation in Bucharest a blind Jewess married to a blind man. they had never seen each other. After a time he chose another woman as the object of his love. She suffered much because of this and decided to commit suicide. She gathered together a great quantity of sleeping pills and diluted them in water. But when she brought the glass to her lips, she, the blind Jewess, saw Jesus in a vision.
“What you do is sin, ” He told her. “I will show you a better way. Love the mistress of your husband. Love her as she is, as the mistress who destroys your happiness. Bring her into your home. Let them embrace each other in your home. And you serve them with meals and with tea. Wash for them. Be their servant. “
She obeyed. This love conquered. The husband abandoned the other woman and again was hers. The other woman remained her friend. .
Wurmbrand concludes, “Nobody is accepted unless the very worst in them is accepted.”
Let patience have its perfect work.” Thank you Jesus for loving us this way! love ya
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