Growing Together – Day 12: Patience
READ: Philippians 2:5-8
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
READ: 1 Timothy 1:15-16
15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.
REFLECT: The Holy God became the servant and the sacrifice for sinful people in order to win them to Himself. While we were still sinners, still enemies of God, Christ died for us. And then, He patiently drew us to Himself while we piled up offenses to His holiness. He continued to pursue us.
Yesterday, we thanked God for His patience. Today we’ll look at Paul’s thankfulness for God’s patience.
This video is about Paul’s experience of God patience (expressed in 1 Timothy 1:15-16). However, it ends quite abruptly with the idea that one day God’s patience will end.
Think of someone in your life who is enjoying the benefits of God’s patience, but for whom (unless something drastic changes) the day when God’s patience runs out will be a disastrous, horrific day.
PRAY: For that person, pray that God would intervene, pray that He might use you as an instrument of healing and salvation in his/her life.