WITH PATIENCE
WITH PATIENCE
Romans 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
This is an incredible chapter and Paul had just written about the present sufferings aren’t worth comparing to the glory we will have in Him. The hope that Paul is speaking of the hope in Christ when we will be with Him for eternity. That is our great hope that we do not yet see but we wait for it with perseverance or patience. Patience is something I have struggled with and I think many of us do in our fast-paced world. We can wait patiently in line for groceries or patiently wait to get off a plane…maybe or patiently wait for food at a restaurant. We can all have a certain amount of patience. Yet to endure the hardships we face as a Christian, we need something greater. We long to be with Him as Paul did when he said to live is Christ to die is gain. We look forward to our blessed hope. We need and thankfully we have access to His patience; one of those fruits of the Spirit.
The Greek word is hupomene which means to be under and endurance, perseverance, steadfastness or longsuffering which is an old term for patience. Our trials do feel like we are suffering for a long time and may we not go through them with gloom and being miserable but endure them with joy. James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. This is why we count it all joy in knowing what it produces. All of us would want that type of patience that can lead to us lacking nothing but not the trial, yet this is a means of seeing that patience work. Psalm 27:14 Wait patiently for the LORD; be strong and courageous. Wait patiently for the LORD! When we think about the future of what trials there may be financially, spiritually, physically it can be overwhelming with anxiety and we don’t have the perseverance to overcome them, but we can have joy in Christ knowing that He will give us His patience and endurance to go through anything and we can be more than conquerors. Let us look forward to being with Him for eternity and wait with patience.