FAITH AND PATIENCE

ALOHA FAMILY AND FRIENDS,  Beloved of God,  John 3:16,  12:24-26,  17:20-26

FAITH AND PATIENCE,     WORTH CONSIDERING    2/13/19

Today’s Scripture
“The Lord is good to those whose hope (faith) is in him, to the one who seeks him.”  (Lam. 3:25)

Be Patient
Even when you are busy, you can choose to be patient. Nobody really likes to wait around for something to happen, especially if it’s something they really want to see come to pass. But God says that people who trust in Him need to wait on Him. Waiting is hard, but here’s the good part: waiting on God is not like waiting on anyone else in your life because God never fails to keep His Word! If you’re asking God for something right now or hoping that He will fulfill your dreams, just keep praying and holding on. Don’t give up on God. If it’s not happening on your timetable, remind yourself, “God knows what He is doing. He has my best interest at heart. I wouldn’t be having this delay unless God had a very good reason for it.” Rest assured that it will be in God’s perfect timing.

A Prayer for Today
“God, please continue to give me patience to wait on You – and thank You for the assurance that You will never fail to keep Your Word. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

My Comments:
We are now in an “INSTANT” generation…  Quick to speak, Quick to act with lots of Pain, Escape and Depression. 

One of my favorite verses on this subject of faith in the Old Testament is from Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.   
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations    (Bible Gateway)   My daughter, Kristy wrote a wonderful song to that scripture that I love very much.

In Luke 11:9-11,  Christ Jesus sets it out this way:  ⁹ And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.  ¹⁰ For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.  ¹¹ If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

So our Heavenly Father is totally committed to helping us but also opposed to manipulating us and trying to make us do anything as love would be totally ineffective and invalid if coerced and freewill would be compromised.   So faith and patience bring us out of being head vacillating and into a total heart commitment and focus.  True faith is to set our face as a flint as in Isiah 50:7  For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.     In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

So Patience and Commitment in seeking the LORD to move to help us is more dependent upon our attitude and faith than we like to realize.   Head faith and heart faith are totally different.   It is in believing with the heart without doubt that moves God.   That is how we really get saved and that is how everything else works in the Kingdom.    In Mark’s Gospel 11:22 Jesus said it this way:  For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.   In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Head faith is rather fickled and can change like the wind.   I can say with my head that I think it is going to rain and and totally pass up the umbrella.  But if I say that with my heart,  I pick up the umbrella and also make other provisions.
 
Hebrews 11  With study can also can brings a lot of light into this concept of how faith works, if interested.  God’s whole of creation is held together only by faith.  He is trying to teach us how it works in creation.  Even the atoms in our bodies and the whole universe are held together by HIS faith.

Yours, in HIS great love and wonderful grace and mercy,    Ken<><