Quotes about Patience

Begin by thanking God for thumps. Every thump is a reminder that God is molding you (Hebrews 12:5—8). 2. Learn from each thump. Look upon each inconvenience as an opportunity to develop patience and persistence. 3. Be aware of "thump-slump" times. Know your pressure periods. Bolster yourself with extra prayer, and don't give up. Remember, no thump is disastrous. All thumps work for good if we are loving and obeying God.

Trust God on this one—the short-term pleasure isn't worth the long-term consequences. If you find yourself in a tempting situation, take Paul's advice: run!

Sometimes God takes his time...

How we handle our tough times stay with us a long time. (P68)

His history is redeemed not in minutes but in lifetimes.

And who are we? We are the branches. We bear fruit: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness" (Gal. 5:22 NASB). We meditate on what is "true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable . . . excellent and worthy of praise" (Phil. 4:8 NLT). Our gentleness is evident to all. We bask in the "peace of God, which transcends all understanding" (Phil. 4:7 NIV).

Storms come to the obedient.

Don't get sucked into short-term thinking. Your struggles will not last forever, but you will.

Meet today's problems with today's strength. Don't start tackling tomorrow's problems until tomorrow. You do not have tomorrow's strength yet. You simply have enough for today.

when your tongue is sharp enough to slice a rock. How

Sometimes God takes his time: One hundred twenty years to prepare Noah for the flood, eighty years to prepare Moses for his work. God called young David to be king but returned him to the sheep pasture. He called Paul to be an apostle and then isolated him in Arabia for perhaps three years. Jesus was on the earth for three decades before he built anything more than a kitchen table. How long will God take with you? He may take his time. His history is redeemed not in minutes but in lifetimes.

And because we look for the bonfire, we miss the candle. Because we listen for the shout, we miss the whisper. But it is in burnished candles that God comes, and through whispered promises he speaks: "When you doubt, look around; I am closer than you think.