Patience

by

Rescued

It’s been quite a year,
     as I look back now.
It’s hard to describe,
     except to say, “Wow!”
You live for so long
     at the point of despair.
And it surely seems
     like no one does care.
You work really hard
     at all that you do.
Yet the credit is taken
     by those around you. 

You watch and you wonder
     what you might have done.
That others don’t see you
     and your gift they do shun.
When people speak poorly
     about that which you do.
There’s none with the courage
     to stand up for you.
And so you do come
     to the end of your rope.
You cry out to Jesus
     for a glimmer of hope. 

So, God gives you strength
     as the years linger on.
You pray for the patience
     to see hope’s new dawn.
You hold tight to Jesus
     in the midst of it all.
You listen more closely
     for the sound of His call.
The years of oppression
     are not wasted, you see.
God uses each moment
     as training for me. 

I hear Him more clearly
     because of the pain.
It drives me to seek Him
     and submit to His reign.
His voice is much softer
     and loving to me.
Than I ever dreamt of,
     or thought it could be.
At just the right moment,
     my God says to me.
“My child it is time,
     for you to be free.” 

All this reminds me
     of Joseph in jail.
He sat there for years
     for someone did fail.
To speak up for him,
     his story to tell.
The man only cared
     that his own life went well.
So Joseph was faithful,
     even though treated wrong.
He still sought His God,
     through the night that was long. 

But God was not absent
     or without a plan.
At just the right time,
     He prompted a man.
That man was the king,
     who had quite a dream.
It disturbed him greatly,
     or so it would seem.
He sought out the wisest
     from throughout the land.
But it fell to Joseph
     to tell what God planned. 

God lifted him higher,
     than all but the king.
His purpose through famine,
     was rescue to bring.
God rescued Joseph
     from out of his cell.
For He had a message,
     someone needed to tell.
He rescued Egypt,
     but not them alone.
For to Joseph’s family,
     great mercy was shown. 

So when you are struggling
     in a jail of your own.
I pray that these words
     are good seeds that are sown.
That you hold even tighter
     to God’s gentle hand.
And wait for the purpose
     that God’s already planned.
That you remain faithful
     in all that you do.
Let God fill your life
     with all that’s for you. 

But always remember,
     as part of God’s plan.
You’re called to share
     with your fellow-man.
God uses hard times
     as well as the good.
To teach us His ways,
     so we do what we should.
So when you are lifted
     from the pit of despair.
You can’t help but shout it,
     you know God’s great care! 

So back to the story
     that this poem began.
As much as we’d like to,
     trouble we cannot ban.
But it is our choice,
     what we do with it.
Does it bring us down,
     or do we grow from it?
Part of that growth
     is to let people know.
That the troubles they face,
     also help them to grow. 

© 2014 by Tom Lemler

As I was spending time with God in prayer, praising Him for the incredible opportunities He has been giving me recently, He put this poem in my mind.  This poem is a reminder of where I’ve been and of God’s great work of rescuing me.  His reminder from the life of Joseph is that my rescue is not only for my benefit, but that He means for it to be a help and encouragement to others.  The greatest rescue from bondage that we will ever experience is the rescue of us from sin that Jesus accomplished on the cross.  It is important that we share our stories so that those who are near despair will hear of a  God who rescues at just the right time.  I pray that this poem is an encouragement to you to remain faithful in all things.

In prayer,
Tom

 

by

1 Kings: Lesson 19 — Feeling Alone

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 19 (Feeling Alone)
1 Kings 19
   November 6, 2013

The Text:

  1. What news does Ahab bring back to Jezebel?  How does Jezebel respond?  Who does she tell?  What does Elijah think of her response?  What does he do?
    –
  2. What does Elijah do in Beersheba?  Where does he go from there?  When he reaches his destination, what does he tell God?
    –
  3. Who wakes Elijah up?  What instruction does he give Elijah?  What does Elijah do?  Who returns to Elijah?  Why?  What is the message given to Elijah?  How long does he travel?  Where does he go?
    –
  4. What question does God have for Elijah?  What is Elijah’s response?  What does God tell Elijah to do?  What events take place that the Lord was not in?  When did Elijah recognize God’s presence?  What does Elijah tell God is the reason for him being where he is?
    –
  5. Where does God tell Elijah to go?  What is he supposed to do when he gets there?  What will Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha do?  How many people does God say have not worshipped Baal?  What did Elijah do when he met Elisha?  How did Elisha respond?  How committed was Elisha to following Elijah?

The Application:

  1. When you don’t like something that happens, who are you most likely to tell?  Why?  Do you tend to respond with rash statements when you are upset or do you like to think things through?  How easily do you become afraid of people?  Where do you usually land on the “fight or flight” spectrum?
    –
  2. Where do you go when you’re afraid?  How often does fear drive you to isolate yourself as much as possible?  How honest are you with God when fear dominates your life?
    –
  3. What things strengthen you when you are mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually worn out?  What might that say about what you ought to be doing for others?
    –
  4. How would you explain your current situation to God if He were to ask you, “What are you doing here?”  Do you believe God’s desire is to reveal Himself to you?  Does where we expect to find God help or hinder our recognizing His presence?
    –
  5. Do you ever feel alone in your walk with God?  Are there people around you that God may have put there to let you know you are not alone?  Who has God put in your life for you to learn from?  Who has He put in your life to learn from you?

Next Week:  If At First You Don’t Succeed . . .
1 Kings 20

 

by

1 Kings: Lesson 18 — I Am Not Alone

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 18 (I Am Not Alone)
1 Kings 18
   October 30, 2013

The Text:

  1. Chapter 18 opens, “After a long time, in the third year” . . . The third year of what?  What did God want Elijah to do?  How did Elijah respond?
    –
  2. Who was Obadiah?  Who did he work for?  What did he secretly do?  What did Ahab ask him to do?  Why?  Who does he meet while he is following Ahab’s orders?
    –
  3. What does Elijah want Obadiah to do?  Does Obadiah want to?  Why/why not?  How does Elijah respond to Obadiah’s concerns?  How does Obadiah respond?
    –
  4. How does Ahab greet Elijah when they meet?  How does Elijah respond?  What request does he have for Ahab?  What does he ask the people?  What is their response?  What does Elijah propose be done to prove who is really God?  How do the people respond?
    –
  5. What did Elijah have the prophets of Baal do?  How long did they try to get their god to answer them?  What did they do during this time?  What did Elijah do during this time?  When Elijah’s turn came, what did he have done?  What would be strange about this?  What happened?  How did the people respond?  What did Elijah have them do?  What message did Elijah give Ahab?  What finally happened?

The Application:

  1. How long is a “long time” for you?  What things make a period of time seem long or short?  Do you like to deliver good news?  What if it is to someone who doesn’t care for you?  Do these answers impact who you share the gospel with?
    –
  2. How can you use a secular position to serve God’s people?  As you go about your daily tasks, do you expect to meet people who God wants you to interact with?
    –
  3. Are you more concerned about your safety, or that of others?  Are you a person that people trust that you will do what you say?
    –
  4. How do you feel when you are blamed for something that is the fault of the person blaming you?  How confident are you of your relationship with God?  Do you need/want proof of who God really is?  Does He provide it?
    –
  5. Are there things that people do today to try to get God’s attention?  As you serve God, do you do things that others might consider wasteful?  Do you typically want God to act in ways to make you look good or for God to look good?

 

Next Week:  Feeling Alone
1 Kings 19

 

by

1 Kings: Lesson 17 — A God That Cares

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 17 (A God That Cares)
1 Kings 17
   October 23, 2013

The Text:

  1. What message did Elijah bring to Ahab?  What message did God have for Elijah?  What did Elijah do?  How did he survive?   
    –
  2. What did Elijah do when the brook dried up from lack of rain?  Why?  When he arrived in town, what did he ask the widow?  What was her reply?  
    –  
  3. How did Elijah respond to the widow’s concern?  What did he want her to do before she did as she had planned?  What was God’s promise to her?  What did she do?
    –
  4. What happened “some time later”?  How did the widow speak to Elijah because of this?  What did Elijah do?  How does he address God?   
    –
  5. Did the Lord hear Elijah?  What happened?  What did Elijah do with the boy?  How did the widow respond?

The Application:

  1. Do you like to deliver bad news?  Why/why not?  When the consequences of the sin of others spills over into your life, do you believe God’s promise to take care of you?  How do you expect God’s care for you to look?  Does He not care if it doesn’t look like that?
    –
  2. How does God use people to meet the needs of His children today?  Does God ever present you with the opportunity to help someone at a time when you don’t believe you have the means to do so?  Why would He do that?   
    –    
  3. Which requires more faith, or trust in God, to give help to someone out of your abundance or out of your own scarcity?  Would you be more likely to give if you knew what little you had would never run out?   
    –
  4. Does doing the right thing always keep bad things from happening to you?  Who/what do you blame when bad things happen?  When you can’t explain bad things are  you more concerned about your reputation or God’s?   
    –      
  5. Does God hear the cries of His people today?  How does He respond?  Why are there times when it seems like He doesn’t hear or respond?  What would it take for people to believe that “you are a man/woman of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth”?

 

Next Week:  I Am Not Alone
1 Kings 18

 

by

1 Kings: Lesson 16 — From Bad to Worse

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 16 (From Bad to Worse)
1 Kings 16
  October 16, 2013

The Text:

  1. Who sent Jehu to speak to Baasha?  What had God done for Baasha?  What had Baasha done in return?  What were the consequences?  Why should have this sounded familiar to Baasha?
    –
  2. Who succeeded Baasha as king of Israel?  How long did that last?  How did his reign end?  What did Zimri do with the entire family of Baasha?  Why?
    –
  3. How long was Zimri’s reign as king over Israel?  What turned the Israelites against him?  How did his reign end?  What was the real reason?
    –
  4. What dilemma did Israel have after Zimri’s death?  How was it resolved?  Where did Omri reign as king?  How did Omri’s life compare to the kings before him?  How did God feel about it?
    –
  5. Who succeeded Omri as king of Israel?  How did he view the sins of Jeraboam?  Who did he marry?  What did this marriage bring into Israel?  How did God feel about the actions of Ahab?

The Application:

  1. Who has God sent to speak to you?  Do you listen?  What has God done for you?  Do your actions reflect or reject that?  When do you like the principle of reaping what you sow?  When don’t you?
    –
  2. What things make it difficult to break patterns of bad behavior?  How do you feel about God using wicked people to fulfill His word?
    –
  3. How many right deeds does it take to outweigh bad ones?  Why is that mindset so dangerous?  Who is responsible for the way you live?
    –
  4. How do groups that you are involved with typically make decisions?  Are some ways better than others?  If left alone, do things typically improve?  What should this tell us about the effort we put into our walk with God?
    –
  5. Are there things that God calls sin that you feel are no big deal?  How do you know?  What is the purpose of God’s law if none of us can live up to it?  What things do you allow others to lead you into worshipping?  How does God feel when there are things other than Him that we worship?  What will you do about it?

 

Next Week:  A God That Cares
1 Kings 17

 

by

1 Kings: Lesson 15 — A Tale of Three Kings

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 15 (A Tale of Three Kings)
1 Kings 15
  October 9, 2013

The Text:

  1. How long did Rehaboam reign in Jerusalem?  How long did his son, Abijah, reign?  How is Abijah compared to his father? . . . To David?  What did God do at this time for David’s sake?  Why?  What was the relationship between Israel and Judah during this time?
    –
  2. Who succeeded Abijah as king in Jerusalem?  How does his actions compare with that of his father? . . . Of David?  What were some of his actions that were different from his predecessor?  What remained?
    –
  3. Who was Baasha?  How did he get along with Asa?  What did Baasha do to those living under Asa’s rule?
    –
  4. What did Asa collect from the temple and from his palace?  What did he have done with it?  Did it serve its purpose?  What did Asa require everyone in Judah to do?  Who was excused?   
    –
  5. Who succeeded Jeraboam as king in Israel?  How long did he reign?  How did he live?  How did his reign end?  What did his successor do to Jeraboam’s family?  Why?

The Application:

  1. How patient does God have to be with you?  How would your life be compared to that of your ancestors?  Do you think God treats groups of people with patience because of the faithfulness of one? . . . Of you?
    –
  2. How difficult is it to do the right thing when it seems like all of the examples around you are wrong?  Why do people often seem to excuse bad behavior in their family?  What might you still be holding on to that God has asked you to remove?     
    –
  3. Who is your adversary?  Do you often recognize that you are living in a war zone?  What situations make you feel trapped by the enemy?   
    –
  4. What would you give to be completely free from the entrapment of the enemy?  Why is it important to destroy the means by which the enemy has confined you?  What happens if not everyone is involved in this?         
    –
  5. What legacy will you leave those behind you?  What do we often seem to forget about God and His timing?  What promises are  you glad God will keep?  Are there some that concern you?

 

Next Week:  From Bad To Worse
1 Kings 16

 

by

Where Is This “Coming”?

Have you ever gotten tired of waiting for something?  . . . So tired that you gave up on ever seeing, getting, or doing whatever it was you were waiting for?  I remember, not so much from memory but from home movies of the event, a time when I was in grade school and got so tired of waiting for my grandparents to show up for my birthday party that I gave up on them and went to sleep in the recliner.  I wanted the birthday celebration to come.  I was even sure that it would, at least I thought so.  But I finally gave up.  Watching and waiting grew old and I just couldn’t do it any longer.  If somehow we could just understand the reason for the delay, maybe — just maybe, we would wait more patiently.

Peter writes in 2 Peter 3:3-9,

“Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.  They will say, ‘Where is this “coming” he promised?  Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.’  But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.  By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.  By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends:  With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

Peter writes that individuals will give up on the promise of Jesus returning.  They will mock any and all who continue to believe that this return is not only possible, but a sure thing.  Such an attitude is contagious.  Negativity has a way of creeping through a group of people and before you know it, entire congregations, cities, and even nations are infected.  Like a spreading disease, doubt eats away at people when they are required to wait with no understanding of why.  Yet faith is just the opposite — it is the growing confidence in the yet unseen that is strengthened through understanding. 

I experienced that contrast a few weeks ago when I made the trip to Nappanee to help with the tornado damage clean-up.  Coming into town, the final 5 miles took an hour to drive.  You talk about trying a person’s patience!  Many could not understand the delay and car after car did a U-turn in the roadway and headed back to where they came from.  Yet many of us had at least a partial degree of understanding.  We knew it would take time to direct and park all of the cars that were streaming to this small town to help.  We were confident that the purpose of the delay was a result of the number of people wanting to help.  And so it was, thousands of people were converging on this town and the numbers were overwhelmingly greater than anticipated.  Was it worth it?  I say,”Yes!”  Even the delays were worth it because my focus stayed on the purpose and anticipation of assisting a community that needed help.

As we wait for the return of Jesus, Peter reminds us to pay little attention to the negative attitudes and the scoffers that try to dissuade us from our faith.  The delay has purpose.  The purpose is God’s desire that none would perish, but all would come to repentance.  He is deliberately delaying His return to give people all the opportunity in the world to see Him for who He is and turn to Him in repentance before He returns to judge the world and all who are in it. 

The delay has purpose, so we wait.  But we do more than wait, we work.  Peter goes on to write in verses 14 and 15, “since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.  Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation”.  We eagerly await the return of Jesus, making every effort to be doing the things that please and honor Him.  Our “work” is to live our life in obedience to Christ, spreading the gospel of salvation to all we can.  Knowing that the patience of God is the reason Jesus has not yet returned, how will you live, speak, and act toward those around you?

May you and I celebrate the patience of God that brought us to salvation.  May we also live our life in a way that lifts up Jesus and allows us to be tools in His desire for all to have a saving relationship with Him.

by

Seventy Times Seven

Patience and forgiveness — how connected are they in your life?  As I consider these two qualities of God, I wonder if it is even possible to separate them. 

I think of the time Peter asks Jesus, “how many times should I forgive someone who sins against me?  Up to seven times?”  The response of Jesus seems to indicate that Peter missed the whole point of forgiveness.  True forgiveness — mercy — is undeserved each and every time it is given.  There is not a tally sheet that says I will forgive you this time because you are still within your limit and therefore deserve my forgiveness.  No, Jesus says to forgive seventy times seven — or some translations would say, seventy-seven times.  Either way, that principle is not setting up a score card, rather it is emphasizing the patience required in the act of forgiveness.

Think about the connection.  Consider yourself.  Would people say that you are a forgiving person?  Yes or no, does that answer not also fit the question, “are you a patient person”?  Patient people forgive.  Forgiving people must be patient.  Does forgiving in the manner and frequency taught by Jesus require patience?  Absolutely!  Does living out the fruit of the Spirit in practicing patience (long-suffering) with one another require forgiveness?  Without a doubt!

Look at your life a little closer and more deeply and you begin to see the patience of God at work.  Paul put it this way in 1 Timothy 1:15-17:

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance:  Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners — of whom I am the worst.  But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.  Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever.  Amen.”

How patient must God be with mankind — with you and me?  Do we want God to quit forgiving after the seventh time we ask?  Or even after the 490th time (70 x 7)?  I don’t think so!  I know I don’t want Him to.  God’s patience is defined by His mercy, both undeserved so that we know without a doubt it is all Him and none of our doing when we are saved.  God suffers long with us, not willing that any should perish but that all would come to repentance.  It is God’s patience that can take a man like Paul, or me, and show mercy to him in order that the purpose of Jesus coming into the world might be accomplished — to save sinners.

Paul wants you and I to know that no one need be without hope.  Yes, the justice of God with His wrath and judgement will come but His very nature of patience and mercy says that He is willing to forgive and forgive, longing for each person to believe in Him and accept His mercy. 

I am thankful that God is patient.  As he works in my life — in this jar of clay that I’ve made available to Him — He is patient and works with loving care bringing the hard and brittle surfaces of my life to a point of softness and flexibility.  His patience allows Him to form me more and more into the image of His Son, Jesus, while not breaking or destroying me.  I pray daily and thank God for His patience with me.  He has not given up, though there have been many times — okay, daily times that he probably should have by man’s evaluation.  But God is not man and man is not God so His patience forms me, carries me, equips me, prods me, challenges me, and changes me into what He desires this lump of clay to be.

May you and I appreciate the patience of God on a daily basis.  May we seek to live obediently and not “try the patience” of God by the things we do and say.