He Is Long-suffering
Have you ever heard someone ask the question, “why does God send people to hell?” Their reasoning is that a good God would never do such a thing. Their perception is very skewed and not biblically sound. Just as our choices here on earth will determine if we break the law and suffer a consequence. It is our choice that determined the outcome. God is a God of mercy and justice; but far more merciful than most of us understand. “Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not, they are new every morning; great is they faithfulness..” Lamentations 3:22
We have all met someone that appears to have “the patience of a saint” however patience does not come naturally. It is a virtue that needs to be cultivated in our lives. It is a fruit that requires “all diligence” in order to flourish. Peter details the list of godly fruit that we need in our lives in 2 Peter 1:5-8 He begins with faith and builds on this foundation which includes patience. Then in vs 8, “for if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Each one of these virtues need to be a part of our foundation of faith. Just as any structure requires a solid and level foundation in order for it to withstand erosion or the various storms that come; our Christian life is the same. Some of these fruits may be easier to cultivate in our lives than the others, and I believe that for most of us, patience and long-suffering may be one of the most challenging.
There are times as a new believer that a seemingly simple prayer was answered almost before you prayed it. It brought joy and built our faith; but as we mature in our Christian walk the challenges and storms that come are meant to strengthen and fortify our faith. How do trees withstand storms? By their roots growing deeper into the soil. We as believers will only be able to withstand a storm because we have allowed our roots of faith to reach deep into the word of God for sustenance.
When praying for our loved ones we can grow weary. There are times it feels as if our prayers have hit the ceiling. We see no change, and sometimes things actually get worse. This is when we need to remind ourselves that we are not to grow weary in well doing. So. Many times He is at work behind the scenes; in those places that our physical eyes cannot see. It is a work of the heart, and the only One that can change a heart and renew a mind is Jesus.
He reminds us that He is not slack in His promise. Slack means to delay, hesitate in slowness. Rather He is long-suffering- the patience that exhibits internal and external control in difficult circumstances. He has watched every single one of us afar off at some point in our lives. It grieves His heart to see His children lost and far away. I always picture Jesus as the Good Shepherd, and Him leaving the ninety-nine to rescue me…that one lost lamb! We have all been that one lost lamb.
His heart is to seek and to save. He is “not willing that any should perish but that ALL should come to repentance.” Not willing means that He is not wishing, desiring, choosing or determining that any should perish- be destroyed, cause to lose, especially in life. Jesus had reminded His disciples, “If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those ask Him!” Matthew 7:11
His long-suffering is merciful. He is at work when we are seeing it as a delay. We must use our eyes of faith and not look at the circumstances in the natural. Why? Because God works in the supernatural! If He can speak through a donkey, (Numbers 22) and have the sun stand still for a day, (Joshua 10) is it too hard for Him to reach into a pig sty and rescue one of our children?
Most of us know the parable of the prodigal son. The father let him go, and even gave him his inheritance. But he never stopped praying and never stopped waiting for his son to return. What was the turnaround moment? What caused the sons breakthrough? “But when he came to himself, he said, How many of my fathers hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and say to him, Father I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.” Notice that his first acknowledgment was that he had sinned against God.
His desire is for all to come to repentance. This is exactly what the prodigal son did, “he came to himself” He eventually felt the pain of his choices when eating pig slop was the only thing on the menu! We may not have children destitute and eating swine husks; maybe they are eating caviar and dainties. It is all relative to being spiritually disconnected from their Heavenly Father. No matter where they are we are not slack in our prayers. We choose to remain immovable in our faith.
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 15:58