King
James Bible Daily Devotion – Learning
Scripture One Day At A Time
Date: Thursday,
August 27, 2015
Chapters: Lamentations
3-5
Message Title: The Need For Patience

Hello
My Friend,

Patience, waiting without complaining. Our
human nature has about a five second span when it comes to waiting
for things, yet every where we go we seem to be waiting for
something, and complaining quite a bit I might add. I truly believe
that much of the suffering we go through is the result of our being
impatient. Think about it, how many times do we make rash decisions
because we are tired of waiting for something or someone? I know I
have done that many times. Let me tell you, God knows what His
children need, and His timing is always perfect, we may not think so
at the time, but when God's hands are in the waiting the results are
amazing. “The LORD is good unto them that
wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man
should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.”
- Lamentations 3:25,26.

As Christians, we are prone to
learning to wait for God, but when we are faced with affliction,
especially when all we were doing is serving God and trying to do the
right things, our hope can be diminished when all we seem to be doing
is waiting. Jeremiah recalls the horrible time in which he was in the
dungeon, and while he could not see or hear God, he never gave up
hope in Him. “He hath hedged me about, that I
cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy. Also when I cry and
shout, he shutteth out my prayer. He hath inclosed my ways with hewn
stone, he hath made my paths crooked. This I recall to my mind,
therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not
consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every
morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my
soul; therefore will I hope in him. But though he cause grief, yet
will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.”
- Lamentations 3:7-9,21-24,32.

His mercies never end no
matter how impatient we get, His mercies are new every morning, it is
only by His mercies that we are not destroyed, and it is only by His
mercies that He never stops loving us. God is faithful to His
children, He never leaves nor forsakes us. He will make us wait,
especially if we are trying to help Him along or rush Him, but as bad
as things are, it is only by the mercies of God that they are not
worse. It is our duty, and will be our comfort and satisfaction, to
hope and quietly to wait for the salvation of the Lord. “Wherefore
doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? Let
us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD. Let us lift
up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens. We have
transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned. I called upon
thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon. Thou hast heard my voice:
hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry. Thou drewest near in
the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.” -
Lamentations 3:39-42,55-57.

As long as we have life in us
we have hope, and instead of complaining when we are waiting for what
we think we need, we should encourage ourselves with the hope of
better things. We should complain to God, but not of Him. We are apt,
in times of waiting to reflect on other people's ways, and blame them
for our problems, but our while waiting it is wise to search and try
our own ways, that we may turn from any sin to God. “Search
me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see
if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way
everlasting.” - Psalms 139:23,24.

Complaining
while waiting on God can cause us to make some rash and unwise
decisions, which is why the majority of the time we go through the
afflictions we go through. Think about it, we are representatives of
God, what type of life are we living that reflects that? If what we
are doing is worse than the world, you can be sure that judgment will
come. Jeremiah reminds the Jews that they are where they are because
their sins were worse than those living in the world. “How
is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones
of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street. For the
punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater
than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a
moment, and no hands stayed on her. Her Nazarites were purer than
snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than
rubies, their polishing was of sapphire: Their visage is blacker than
a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to
their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick. As for us,
our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have
watched for a nation that could not save us.” - Lamentations
4:1,6-8,17.

God's people are like gold to Him, they are
valuable and precious, yes, they get tarnished, and they get tried in
the fire, but they will shine once they overcome their sin. Those who
truly want to change the situations in their lives will not only seek
God and His mercies, but also take the steps needed to change them by
walking with Christ and conforming to Him. I was in a big mess, even
going to church, I cried for God to get me out of the situation, but
was still conforming myself to me and not Christ. It wasn't until I
truly wanted to get out of the situation that God had compassion on
me and helped me out of it. “For he that will
love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil,
and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do
good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are
over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the
face of the Lord is against them that do evil.” - 1 Peter
3:10-12.

It is not always easy conforming to image of
Christ, especially while waiting on Him. Those who faithfully serve
Him are committed to Him, yet the more Christlike they become the
more they seem to wait. As Jeremiah is pondering the destruction of
Jerusalem, he laments over the state of Judah in captivity, but pleas
with God for the return of His mercy. “The
joy of our heart is ceased; our dance is turned into mourning. The
crown is fallen from our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned! For
this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes are dim. Wherefore
dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time? Turn thou
us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of
old. But thou hast utterly rejected us; thou art very wroth against
us.” - Lamentations 5:15-22.

Think about all the
suffering that an unsaved person or even one that has backslidden
faces and how hopeless they feel, they cannot see God nor trust Him
to help them out of their situation. Waiting is not easy, especially
when being afflicted, but if we keep looking to Jesus as we walk
toward the prize together, it will be worth the wait. “Whom
resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are
accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of
all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus,
after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish,
strengthen, settle you.” - 1 Peter 5:9,10.

Today's
Prayer: God, As we live by faith and not sight, we are
called to serve You faithfully as we wait for You to give us the
things we need and desire. You know exactly what we need, and if it
is in Your will You will give them to us on Your timetable, not ours.
Lord, lead us and guide us, give us Your power, strengthen us, and
help us to look to You for hope and do what is necessary on our part
to not only conform to the likeness of Your Son, as we await Your
answers. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying
for you,
Christina

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