Choose Patience

Choose Patience

Romans 8:25 ESV

Hope is one of the greatest gifts God gave humans. When we really think about it, hope is a integral part of our every day lives. When we wake up often hope for the new day is our first thought.

Even those who are faced with some difficulty can hope.

Romans 8:25 tells us, “we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”

Now the question really surrounds the subject of being patient while we hope.

If we are unemployed and struggling to survive and we ask for a new car, chances are God will not choose to give you a new car.

While it may seem difficult for some to understand, God always has our best interest at heart. God’s love always has our best interest at heart and when you are unemployed and you don’t have regular resources at hand a shiny new car probably isn’t what you need.

When we ask and pray we need to realistically ask in terms of what we need. God wants what is best for us and cannot harm us.

God’s plan for us always include goodness.

Paul makes that clear in Romans 8:28. “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

I’ve studied and sat with this verse for decades and understanding it alluded me. When I was younger I wondered how pain and heartache could work for good?

Decades ago when tragedy struck in my life I knew about this verse and I wondered how so many very bad things that happened could possibly be for my good.

My loss was catastrophic. I could not understand how God could possibly bring good to my life.

Because there were so many losses I couldn’t process it all so I started by trying to live one more hour. I asked God to be with me for the next hour. Ever so gradually an hour became a morning. Then it became a day. My prayer was asking God to get me through the week.

Looking back, I can see it was such a good lesson. I really learned to rely on God.

I still have questions for God, but I can now see that relying on God for everything was the greatest gift I was given.

I was also given independence and eventually I was given a sense of humor about the loss. I think God gave me that as a very special gift. Now, every time I think of my life before I laugh and I’m grateful for God’s gift of being able to love my new life.

I really do love my new life.

Deborah

acrazyjourney.com