The value of patience

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

God often teaches us, His children, some of the most valuable lessons we ever learn through difficulty and affliction. Roses never smell better than when their fragrance is released through crushing. There can be no bread without the crushing of the grain. It’s always been that way. Isaiah observed, “Grain must be ground to make bread; so one does not go on threshing it forever. The wheels of a threshing cart may be rolled over it, but one does not use horses to grind grain” (Isaiah 28:28).

When you feel you are still in the fire, say:?1. God knows better than I do when enough is enough.?2. The fact that I am undergoing a trial, a dark period in my life, doesn’t mean

for a moment that God has forsaken me. He not only brought me to this point, but He will walk with me through the valley and take me up on the other side.

3. I will tell my doubts and fears where to get off and refuse to believe what I know to be untrue.

4. I will search the Bible and hold on to the promises of God, knowing that He is a gentleman and will keep His word.

5. I will strive to be patient, believing that God will give me deliverance in His time. I’ll also look for parallels between what I’m going through and with what happened to Joseph in Egypt and Daniel in the hostile environment of Babylon.

6. I will not throw away my confidence in God.?7. And though He slay me, like Job, I will trust Him.?If you could only see the whole picture which God sees, your valleys would

never be so dark nor your days so long. That’s where the element of faith comes into the picture. Trust Him. Nothing is forever.

Used with permission from Guidelines International Ministries. To learn more about Guidelines and the ministry, send an e-mail to i[email protected]. You may also visit www. guidelines.org.