I have always said that patience is a virtue, one I don't have. Then I heard a message that Patience is a fruit of the Spirit and that the seed is planted in me already. Although I know it is in me, I never pray for it to grow because that means it will have to be tested.
The other day, I was told my car would be ready in about forty-five minutes, and there were no other cars in line. I intentionally waited thirty minutes before even beginning grocery shopping. So I was pretty upset when I got there an hour and a half later and they were still working on my car. So I sat down in the waiting room and made my normal comment about being inpatient.
Billie Jo reminded me that patience is a fruit of the spirit. I said I wasn't being negative (although I was) that I was just tired of waiting. Waiting on the car, waiting on the Cobra to go through for the kids orthodontist appointments, waiting on the mortgage company to release the funds for our roof to be repaired, waiting for Tim to get a job, waiting for a job to come open at the hospital, waiting on the check, waiting, waiting and waiting.
Billie told me that God wanted me to have something but because of my impatience I was keeping God from giving it to me. I thought about it, and I threw my hands up in surrender and said "Okay God I surrender. I am okay with the wait. Teach me what I need to learn to get past this."
Call it a coincidence, I call it a God thing - Billie started laughing, my car drove out of the garage at that exact moment. Great story even if it ended there - but you know God, He does things 100%!
The next day before I went to work I called the Cobra Company, our insurance paperwork finally went through. We needed to make a payment but it shows approved in the system!
Then, I was driving home from work and I called th mortgage company. Brett answered. I gave him the same talk I had given the other fifty people I talked to every day since June 8 before that and guess what he gave me the number to the right person to fix my problem - the number that did not exist for the other people I talked to. So by the end of last week I got the message that the funds would be released for our roof repairs by Thursday of this week!!! In addition, the lady also restructed our loan and brought it up to date with lower payments.
Today Tim got a job, in his field!
I learned last week that a new job should come open in mid-July at the hospital and everyone is asking me if I will apply!
And last, but not least. I have been waiting to get paid from one of my vendors and well - the check came in the mail!
I just praise God that he let my car be late, that he gave my daughter the wisdom to say what she did, gave me the ability to give it up, and that He gets all the glory and honor and praise for it!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Temptation
I can't say how many times I have read the story of Jesus being led into the wilderness and his temptation. Last night I read it, and I saw something I completely have missed before and it definitely shed light on the things I face. Coupled with my daughter's insight into my problem with patience (See patience blog), I found new revelation in the story.
Up to this point I have always thought that Jesus was led out into the wilderness, he fasted for forty days and then the devil came out to tempt him. I viewed Jesus being frail and starving from not eating, being tested by Satan. Last night I realized, we just have a brief view of what Jesus faced. Luke 4:1-2 clearly states that Jesus was tempted for 40 days. Maybe those final temptations were at the end of the 30 days, maybe they were during, I don;t know. But Jesus remained strong despite the testing. That is the point.
Luke 4 stated 1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, 2where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
Jesus was tempted by the devil for forty days, during that time he was fasting, but he was tempted the entire time. So many times we face tests and trials and when God has not delivered us by the end of the week we are just ready to give up on it. Maybe we need to see it through. Maybe we need to suffer through the temptation, continue to be led by the Spirit, standing on God's word, maybe do a little fasting, and we will see the victory a lot sooner! If you keep reading in verse 14 you read that Jesus left there full of the POWER of the HOLY SPIRIT! If we want to walk in power we have to go through the temptation.
Up to this point I have always thought that Jesus was led out into the wilderness, he fasted for forty days and then the devil came out to tempt him. I viewed Jesus being frail and starving from not eating, being tested by Satan. Last night I realized, we just have a brief view of what Jesus faced. Luke 4:1-2 clearly states that Jesus was tempted for 40 days. Maybe those final temptations were at the end of the 30 days, maybe they were during, I don;t know. But Jesus remained strong despite the testing. That is the point.
Luke 4 stated 1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, 2where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
Jesus was tempted by the devil for forty days, during that time he was fasting, but he was tempted the entire time. So many times we face tests and trials and when God has not delivered us by the end of the week we are just ready to give up on it. Maybe we need to see it through. Maybe we need to suffer through the temptation, continue to be led by the Spirit, standing on God's word, maybe do a little fasting, and we will see the victory a lot sooner! If you keep reading in verse 14 you read that Jesus left there full of the POWER of the HOLY SPIRIT! If we want to walk in power we have to go through the temptation.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)