Yesterday in my daily devotion I read this verse:
"Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying" Romans 12:12
Doesn't the word patience immediately make you uneasy? I know it does me. It churns something deep down in my stomach. I am having a hard time finding the patience even writing this blog right now with Colby traumatizing the poor cat as well as everyone else in this house. We live in a right now kind of world and patience is a virtue lost on most people including myself. To be patient in the best of circumstances is hard enough so to be patient in TROUBLE feels almost impossible right. I was taught at an early age to never pray for patience. It was almost a grounded rule such as clean your plate and brush your teeth.
After reading this verse this week, I immediately stopped and re read the verse. Praying and Patience in the same sentence? Really? How can we get patience in times of trouble? First we rejoice in our confident hope. That really goes back to my last blog. It is hard to rejoice in times of trouble but when we do, we find a peace that honestly does pass all understanding. We are renewed in our hope that God holds our futures and we know that He is in control.
I have found especially recently that in times of trouble the best place to find yourself is on your knees bathed in prayer. Sometimes when we find ourselves in trouble we find it easier to shut out the world, shut out people and ultimately shut out God. We try to fix things ourselves, just throw our hands in the air and give up or take our own path rather than search out what God would have us to do. The verse tells us that in order to be patient in times of trouble we must keep on praying. When we find our self in constant communication with God, our problems may not go away but the burden that comes with them will lighten.
So although you may not pray directly for patience in times of trouble, it is important to not cease praying for your troubles. Thank God for them, ask God to help you to work in HIS time and not your own, and as the verse says Keep on Praying. We must also not fail to continue to pray for each other. We never know what others are going through so even if it is a smile, a friendly gesture or a quick prayer, go out of your way this week to show God's love to someone. It may make all the difference in the world to them.
"Lord even know amidst all the chaos that surrounds me, I thank you. Thank you for the hope, the peace and the understanding that You give me. Even now I ask that you help me rest in your peace, calm my anxiety and help me to trust in YOUR timing and not my own. May I find myself in constant communication with You, even if it is just whispering your name in a moment of weakness."
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