Monday: When Jesus Urged Patience
Read Luke 24:47-53, Acts 1:6-8, 16:6-10. Why was waiting for the Spirit necessary? What was the Spirit’s role in the evangelistic outreach of the primitive church? What encouragement might modern believers draw from Paul’s experience when facing frustration? What lessons regarding patience and waiting for God’s timing are suggested within these passages?
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Through discourse and example, Jesus taught His disciples patience. Facing bigotry, ignorance, misunderstanding, and outright conspiracy, Christ nonetheless patiently persevered. Such perseverance was anchored by Christ’s complete dependence upon God’s divine Spirit. Jesus understood that unless these disciples should likewise experience this dependence, the kingdom’s advancement was seriously jeopardized. Conversely, should they learn this lesson at the outset, their future ministry would be destined for heavenly attainments. Therefore, His departing command was Wait.
Christ desires that modern believers master that lesson also. Well-intentioned but self-confident Christians, when unwilling to patiently await the Spirit’s guidance, can embarrass themselves and God’s kingdom.
The apostle Paul drafted ambitious plans for entering Bithynia; but even headstrong Paul was sensitive to God’s leading and accepted rather than resisted the Spirit’s interference. The apostle willingly received the Spirit’s directive that sent him to Macedonia instead. Numerous miracles attended his efforts there. Had Paul rushed headlong with his designs, the European mission might have stalled indefinitely.
How can our anxious spirits be calmed to await patiently the Spirit’s leading? What practical things should modern believers do in their attempts to cultivate such patience? What does patient, prayerful trust indicate regarding our relationship with God?
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Waiting for the LORD's timings is the best,because during the period of waiting God teaches us a lot of lessons and it is from these lessons that we now get to know the truth. The other thing is that, as we wait patienly on the Lord he gives us the spirit to understand things.
Mmmmm! Ok...great! You know I was just going to ask the trillion-dollar question, as found in Monday's last questions block" that of--"what practical things should, we as believers, do in [an] attempts to cultivate such patience?", as the question says!
Any blessed questions, comments, or concerns, and most certainly thoughts, I most certainly welcome!
🙂
Patience is a virtue we must develop even in the work of saving lives. We must first be connected to God So we can be filled with the Holy Spirit whose guidance alone can make us successful even in winning souls for Christ. Sometimes we are so confident that we think we can do this on our own and we end up embarrassing ourselves. When the Holy Spirit is in control, we appreciate even the approach necessary for evangelism in certain situations
When we wait patiently on the Lord we demonstrate how much we trust in Him and his guidance. We are wiling to allow the Holy Spirit to guide and use us in the completeness of His plan for us. We undoubtedly know that there is no better timing than the Lords. While when we are impatiently rushing to our goals without the Spirits guidance we are blind. Pray, trust and patiently wait.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
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very interesting, if one is completely dependent on God's divine spirit then exercising patience will not only become easier, but it would become the norm. It can be especially difficult for modern-day Christians to exercise patience in this "instagram era" It is important for Christians to realize that unless we experience total dependence on God, the kingdom's advancement will be seriously jeopardized.
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Q. What does patient, prayerful trust indicate regarding our relationship with God?
A. Recognition and acceptance of God’s role as author and my role as servant of the missionary enterprise.
My wife is a terrible gardener. When we plant seeds she has to poke in the ground the next day to see if they are germinating. If we plant out seedlings and they do not flower within a week she wants to pull them up and plant new ones. Sometimes we are like that with when we are working for the Lord. We want immediate results. And sometimes it takes just a little bit longer than immediate. It took 40 years of patience for my grandmother to convert my grandfather. He was baptized when he was 80 years old. Grannie taught me the value of calm, persistent, non-nagging patience.
Mmmm! Wow! Thank You for that. that of the "little" steps process there!
If we trust in God and believe in his promises we cannot go wrong. By being patient and let go and let God we can see his goodness working in us and through us. An old saying patience is a virtue, good things comes to those who wait. Psalm 27:14 Wait on the Lord:be of good courage,and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait,I say,on the Lord.
It's so hard to be patient. Especially when I have a genuine need that only God can fulfill. What I'm realizing is that it's in the waiting that His presence and power are made tangible to me. It's then that I experience His ability to sustain, develop, understand, transform and use me in His work. Waiting gives we humans a chance to slow down, and experience the reality of God. It's in the quiet that we become truly acquainted with the voice of His Spirit.
Yes!--I like that! Indeed I do agree! So then are You saying--that we simply go through our "daily motions" not dwelling on what we've asked for, but just being prayerfully thankful?
It is a must to have an appropriate tool for the right job at the right time so that the we may experience the power of God, to be patient about how well we do that matters. It is the hearty service to others that they are blessed and you go satisfied. Thank you for being faithful in praying to God, studing the scriptures and of course implementation of what God inspired you.
In Revelation we see that patience is one of the identifying marks of God's children "here is the patience of the saints here are thy that keep the commandment of God and have the faith of Jesus". Patience indicate Christ is reigning on our hearts' throne and self has died. There will be a distrust of self and when we work for God we will desire to wait for Him to lead as we do His work.
A wise man onces Told me “Patience is bitter, but its fruit is
sweet“ it took 10 day for the disciples to receive the gift of from above... Let as also wait upon the Lord.
Never cut a tree down in the
wintertime. Never make a
negative decision in the low time.
Never make your most important
decisions when you are in your
worst moods. Wait. Be patient.
The storm will pass. The spring
will come.
Robert H. Schuller
Henry, I like your quotes, they are worth remembering. One thing though I think the 10 days for the disciples to receive the Holy Spirit could be disputed. There was 50 days from the Passover to Pentecost and even though a lot happened between the resurrection and the ascension I don't think it took 40 days to happen. But then I could be wrong.
Henry, it seems to me that you are correct according to Acts 1:3 where it says that Jesus was with them for 40 days before He ascended.
I think those 40 days were essential as a prerequisite to what happened in the upper room though. It seemed to set the environment for the disciples to come together and be of one accord. Peter had to be rejoined to the group as a leader and faith in Christ had to be strengthened (Jn 21). Also their understanding of Christ's mission had to be corrected as it was on the road to Emmaus (Lk 24).
one of the fruit of the spirit is Patience.
it a quality we all must possess if we are to be good Christians
Patience is virtue. We cannot obtain true patience unless it is given by the Holy Ghost. It is one of the part of "the fruit of the Spirit". Sometimes we think we have patience, just to know how fragile we are in a crisis. We then refused to wait on the Lord and take matters in our own hands (like Jacob and his mom) for the blessings.
Tyler Cluthe yes u are right back when there with Jesus (40days) there where not waiting for anything... There only waiting for the Holy-spirit 4 10Days...