Waiting In The Patience Of God

The LORD is gracious and full of compassion

slow to anger and great in mercy.

The LORD is good to all,

and His tender mercies

are over all His works.

My mouth shall speak the praise

of the LORD,

and all flesh shall bless

His holy name.

forever and ever.

Psalm 145:8; 21

            Whoever is faithful ought to believe in God when He makes a promise, and by how much the more when He makes an oath. As one of God’s children, we are the recipients of God’s slowness to anger and of His great mercies, those tender mercies that preside over all His works.  Therefore our lives, our mouths, our very actions in all things should speak praise to our LORD and God and bless His holy name forever.  We are not to be so blind that the true light cannot shine in us and we live in darkness, a darkness that obscures the truth.  The true Light of God, Jesus Christ, ought to be manifest in us in all we do and by this, we bless His holy name. Over the many years that Christianity has existed there has been much effort to make us believe we are holy and acceptable, a piety that has no Scriptural authorization.  Emphasis to run to such as idols, those things that we venerate and use in our worship; i.e., swinging incense to ward of evil, to sprinkle the congregation as though somehow this water is holy cleansing people from their sins.  On the other hand, to have objects that we use other than the Bible and prayer, a communication to God He is so willing to hear, to give some validity to us so that we feel worthy, to be heard, and our prayers answered.  Some people seek an apostle, those apostles that walked and talked with Jesus Christ for intercession as though they are saviors, and have special attention given to them by God.  Were they not men?  Were they not mortal and we do love them as apostles who God inspired to write His words for us, but are they not now dead?  Yes, there soul is alive, as yours will be when you die, in heaven awaiting the return of our Savior Jesus Christ.  Our belief is in God and His promises, not upon some man.  We are not to rely on the merit of intercession of the saints, for one cannot be he possess the same faith, righteousness, and truth which they, the apostles, possessed and by that which pleased God done by them. We are to be pleasing to God and by using objects that are not of God but feed our piety we are not pleasing to God, for we have replaced our faith solely in Him upon an object.  To those who attempt to bind us with such idols and unScriptual practices I am reminded of the words spoken by Jesus Christ: “Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. There whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for the say, and do not do. For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay thin on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers’” (Matthew 23: 1–4).

            Praise God for His patience.  Remember this: God’s patience is not His permission.  God’s patience is part of the Divine Goodness and mercy, yet it does differ from both.  God is the highest Goodness, and has the greatest mildness.  Mildness is always the companion of true goodness, and the greater the goodness the greater the mildness.  Is not Jesus Christ holy and meek?  Is not Jesus Christ God?  God’s slowness to anger is simply a branch from His mercy. How is His anger different from His mercy?  It differs from mercy by means of the formal consideration of the object; mercy respects the creature as miserable, patience respects the creature as criminal; mercy pities him in his misery, and patience bears with the sin which engendered that misery, and is giving birth to more.  Mercy is one end of His patience; His longsuffering is partly to glorify His grace: “However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life” (1Timothy 1:16). God’s slowness to anger springs forth from His goodness, and makes mercy the butt and mark of its operations: “Therefore the LORD will wait, that He may be gracious to you; and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you.  For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him” (Isaiah 30:18).  

            Here is an important reminder: God waits that He may be gracious and the Goodness of God is set upon an exercise of patience, and patience sets many a sinner to run into His arms.  That mercy of God makes God ready to embrace returning sinners, and makes Him willing to bear with them in their sins, and wait for their return.  Will you return if you find in yourself that which is wanting? Are you willing to cast aside yourself and all that you desire that takes you away from Him? Are you listening: “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘this is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:21).

But when he (Jacob) sees his children,

            The work of My hands, in his midst,

They will hallow My name, and hallow the

            Holy One of Jacob, and fear

The God of Israel. These also who erred

            In spirit will come to understanding,

And those who complained will learn doctrine.

                                                Isaiah 29:23–24

Praise God For His Patience

Richard L. Crumb