Wednesday Reading: James 5:7-11
Key Verse: James 5:11
11 Behold, we count blessed those who endure. You have heard of the patience of Job, and you have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is full of pity and of tender mercy.
Devotion:
Have you ever wondered whether some of your bad habits come about because you are not patient enough to wait for others? Or maybe you land yourself into trouble on regular occurrences because of your impatience... Not being patient enough to wait for what is right is actually seen by some as a sign of strength; but they are only deluding themselves because they are working against the truth.
Patience is something that we all seem to see in others and not in ourselves; but there must be a strong line drawn between patience and laziness because they are totally different. Knowing what is right and waiting for that is one thing; knowing what is right and waiting for yourself is something totally different! Patience is the ability to wait for someone else rather than yourself – something that we do find hard at times, especially when times are tough.
We have been given God’s Word as a complete truth for us to believe and to depend upon. God gave us all of the words so that we may know the truth about Him and also be told of what is going to happen in the future. What do you think would have happened to us if we had known the exact dates of events before they happened? Do you think that you would continue to do what is right in God’s eyes all the time, or do you think you would relax a bit and then do what is right just before it happens? If we had been told the dates when Christ would be taken and when Satan would be cast into the pit, we would probably do things our own way up until it got close to the date... Do you think God would really be pleased about that? Do you think we would be showing Him we are genuine?
Christ wants us to know that He is going to return but He wants us to show our love for Him by being patient for His return and depending on Him day by day, always. He wants us to be genuine believers just as He is our Genuine Living God!
Points to Ponder:
Do you think you are patient?
Do you wait on God’s Word?
