Patience... at peace...

"The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance."

2 Peter 3:9

Yeah... we've been busy talking about how we should be patient, and I tried twice to close this portion of the study but couldn't, and it has to do with the fact that I had not yet discussed how God is patient.  He is patient with us... all of us. 

Have you ever thought about that?  Imagine if one of your friends or family acted towards you the way we all DO (tough to admit, but deep down we all know it's the truth) act towards God a lot of the time.  How would that make you feel?  I'm not gathering a warm and fuzzy vibe over here, and I'm betting the same is true for you.  But God loves us through it, over and over and over and over and over again.  He is patient with us.

We (humanity) were created by Him, for Him, and we turned our back on a simple instruction, and yet His patience held.  We made Him so furious that He washed the planet clean of most, but for the future a faithful few were spared, and His patience held.  We longed and yearned for the Messiah, crying out that God had abandoned us... and we sought idols and false gods, distorting the Law, and His patience held.  We begged for prophets, then cast them out, one by one, as we did not like what they had to say, and His patience held.  We murdered, we coveted, we stole, we lied, we cheated, we openly turned our back on Him to try and make it our own way, and His patience held.  We found His Son, learned from Him, and then crucified Him to keep our status quo, and His patience held.  We heard and saw the resurrected Christ, received the Spirit and converted thousands, but still tried to hide sin in our hearts, and His patience held.  We formed new nations and new governments, all the while patting ourselves on the back for our genius and ingenuity, while only some gave credit to God where it belongs, and His patience held.  We broke vows and promises and covenants and traditions and patterns of faith to assuage our "modern society," and His patience held.  We, the human race in total, are wretched, fickle, faulty, filthy, failed things, and if any one of us were actually in charge, we would call forth another flood and spare no one... except, of course, our own person... but we are not in charge, and His patience still holds.  I'm gonna repeat that last part for you: WE ARE NOT IN CHARGE, AND HIS PATIENCE STILL HOLDS!

Take a moment today to think about how patient God has been with you.  If you are like me, you will probably work your way to tears as you think of all the times you have wronged the One who does no wrong.  It will humble you, as it does me, to realize that we really are less than not capable of even hoping to be beneath unworthy of seeking even the smallest momentary glimpse of His shadow... yet His patience was such that He came back to save us and free us and wash us clean through the death of His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.  So be patient today, more than you have ever been, and honor the Lord in this!

God bless you all!!!