Patience & Grace

A loved one forgot to pay her phone bill, I tried to pay it by phone and online. The phone company's record of the last 4 digits of her SSN does not match what is printed on her SSN card. I suspect the phone company has her deceased husband's SSN on file.

I wanted to shout to no one in particular, all I want to do is PAY her bill!!!!

Technology is a wonderful thing, but at times I want to ditch it for a simple cabin in the woods or a hut on the beach with a few modern conveniences.  You know, be a hermit until I emerge to have my hair colored.

I often wonder if the smart appliances and smartphones add to our quality of life, or are they an equivalent to a butter churn in the long run?

We have grown used to high-speed Internet, high-speed trains in a few countries, zapping coffee in the microwave to warm it. We don't wait often these days unless we are holding for a government agency.

Do we have the same attitude concerning answered prayer? I prayed it 5 minutes ago, where is my answer God?  Obviously, there are some situations in which we need an instant answer because we are in danger or that sort of thing, but mostly we want answered prayers asap because we are no longer accustomed to waiting. I think about my uncles sending my father Victory Mail during WWII, people waited for the mail to arrive from Europe & the Pacific. No phone calls, no e-mail, no FaceTime. Hard to imagine.

Do I think waiting patiently has ever been easy for any generation? No. I do think it is harder today. I think we want grace without making changes in our lives. Many times we want God to act on our behalf without sacrifice and repentance. We imagine a god tailored to our needs instead of knowing Him through Scripture and prayer.

We begin our walk with God as baby Christians, the walk is meant to progress as we mature in Him, we are not meant to coast on our walk with Him. We mature as we wait, as we face disappointments, challenges, and hurtful situations in life.

Remember these words:

Psalm 46:10
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

II Cor 4:7-9
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.  We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;  persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed

I Tim 6:11-12
But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

I Thess 1:2-4
We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers,  remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,  knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.

We need to pursue patience and be patient in hope. We need to calm down and be still. His grace is sufficient. We need to know Him and believe Him.

I pray 2018 is the year I truly know Him better and pursue patience while I patiently hope.