As grief overwhelmed me, I lost my patience. Anger welled up and had to be honestly released with a shout. Shrouded in loss and shocked by my unusually loud reaction, I asked God to help me see what lay beneath my tear-full explosion.
My anguish had started with an unexpected change…I’d have to face more losses. It had seemed they would end soon, but this event suddenly meant that a furthered onslaught of evil was likely.
I weakly cried, “How can I go on like this as I wait?”
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
in every change He faithful will remain.
(“Be still, my soul,” von Schlegel, K., 1855)
It was time for me to re-turn to my faithful heavenly Father and ask for His promised fruit of patience. He helped me face more suffering without unsinful anger…becoming sinful bitterness.
My patient, “slow to anger” Father (e.g., Ex. 34:6, Ps. 86:15) reminded me of His promises to me with the beautiful Hebrew word for patient…”longsuffering.”
Praying for Your promised fruit of patient longsuffering
Father, You alone know how hard this is, how much I need Your Spirit’s promised fruit of patient longsuffering.
You promise to strengthen me with Your power, according to Your…
“glorious might,” for “all endurance and patience with joy” (Col. 1:11 ESV).
Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heav’nly Friend
through thorny ways, leads to a joyful end.
Patience to endure longsuffering is a gracious gift from You, glorious and mighty Lord.
Establish my heart with patience as I wait for the coming of my glorious Lord Jesus, with hope (Titus 2:13; Jas. 5:7-8). As Your chosen one, holy and beloved, help me to put on patience (Col. 3:12).
I can’t possibly do this without Your Spirit’s fruit of patience. Patient longsuffering.
Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side;
bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Your patient longsuffering purposes and promises in this waiting
I cling to Your promise as I wait:
You continually remind me that Your promised plan and purpose is to conform me to the image of Your beloved Son, my beloved Savior (Rom. 8:29). Jesus Christ displayed His “perfect patience” as an example to me (1 Tim. 1:16). So, only by Your grace, I too can be patient for Your fulfilled promises. Please fill me with Your Spirit, with Your resulting, promised fruit of “longsuffering” patience.
Your longsuffering power and strength, continually renewed within me
For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation (Ps. 62:1 ESV).
You are the source of any patient longsuffering!
So, I am waiting for You alone.
Stilled, humbly quieted before You, all-mighty God.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.
Your Word’s promises will help me wait with Your ongoing gift of patient longsuffering
With this promise, You’ve carried me through many past years of longsuffering. Today, You promise…
to continue to carry me in every upcoming waiting year, too!
Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
to guide the future as He has the past.
Your stillness, Your calm, Your serenity, Your peace in patient longsuffering
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
The one who endures to the end will be saved (Mt. 24:13, emphasis added)!
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
all now mysterious shall be bright at last.
By Your grace, in the name of my hope, Jesus Christ, amen
Material adapted from Praying God’s Promises Into Suffering: A Devotional Bible Study Prayer Journal, Lauri A. Hogle, © 2023
Singing to “be still before the Lord,” to endure longsuffering
Sister in Christ, in my anguish of losses, I’ve made a playlist to pray-sing the themes of these Scriptures. If your dreamed plans seem shattered too, if you’re grieving losses and asking God for help to endure longsuffering with His promised fruit of patience, perhaps the songs will help you too. If so, sign up below, and it will come to your email as we cling to His promises…together.
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Singing the Gospel to Job: Finding Hope in Suffering
Near to God: A Devotional Bible Study of God’s Character in Our Suffering
