P4 Patient In Suffering
Reading: Revelation 14:12-13; 2 Thessalonians 3:5; Romans 12:2
12 Meanwhile, the saints stand passionately patient, keeping God’s commands, staying faithful to Jesus. 13 I heard a voice out of Heaven, “Write this: Blessed are those who die in the Master from now on; how blessed to die that way!” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “and blessed rest from their hard, hard work. None of what they’ve done is wasted; God blesses them for it all in the end.” (Revelation 14:12-13 MSG)
One of the most-used meanings of patience in the Bible is “is bearing pains or trials calmly and without complaint.” The people these Scriptures were written to weren’t having problems being patient while waiting in the express lane (10 items or less) at the supermarket while someone in front of them had a completely full cart. Their patience issues weren’t because they were the 12th caller in the queue for customer service. They were being persecuted for their faith in Jesus!
Their patience was tested by the fact that they were persecuted for their faith in Jesus. Many of them were unemployed because Followers of the Way were often blacklisted from employment. Many of them had been arrested and imprisoned and tortured. They were without basic human rights whether the persecution came from the Jewish religious system, Herod’s quasi-Jewish political system, or the Romans. They were suffering for doing right!
May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ. (2 Thessalonians 3:5 NLT)
What are Christ-followers to do when events play out in our world over which we have no control, when we’re treated unfairly for doing right, when our commitment to God and good is what triggers our suffering?
We are to remain passionately patient—serving, praying, worshiping, and witnessing. We are to patiently trust the outcome of everything to the one who knows for sure how it all works out in the end.
Rejoice in confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. (Romans 12:12 NLT)
Prayer:
Father, Thank you for the assurance that you are God after all and that you have determined and will control the ultimate outcome of history. Help my friends and me to be passionately patient, to keep your commands, and stay faithful to Jesus. Amen.