And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth” Exodus‬ ‭34:6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

There are two kinds of patience:

1. Longsuffering – Makrothumia
   The capacity to endure evil and still be kind

The very fact that you have legal disputes among yourselves shows that you have failed completely. Would it not be better for you to be wronged? Would it not be better for you to be robbed? Instead, you yourselves wrong one another and rob one another, even your own brothers and sisters!” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭6:7-8‬ ‭GNB‬‬

One example of longsuffering is where Jesus mentioned the man who pleaded for his case even though he would later forget the kindness that has been shown to him. 

The servant fell on his knees before the king. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay you everything!’’ Matthew‬ ‭18:26‬ ‭GNB‬‬

Be like those who believe and are patient, and so receive what God has promised (Hebrews‬ ‭6:12‬ ‭GNB‬‬). Satan uses your circumstances or challenges to make them your meditation however you will be solely focused on the evil and not on where you are going (what God promises you)!

What are the promises that God made to you? The promises are in the promised land but don’t focus on the enemies in the land. 

Longsuffering is the ability to see what is in front of you no matter what is going on! 

They were doing evil to Jesus however His eyes were on the salvation He needed to bring to humanity! You are putting up with evil but you choose to be calm. Love is a choice and an intentional act! Don’t feel love but act upon it! 

We love him, because he first loved us.” 1 John‬ ‭4:19‬ ‭KJV‬‬

You want to feel loved, show love to people who did you wrong! Why do you love the person because you know where they are going! You want them to go to heaven and not hell! You show love despite the evil they display. 

The second kind of patience is called: 

1. Forbearance  – Hupomoné
   The ability to wait, the capacity to endure delay and to keep expecting.

This is happening to the church. We are waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. This doesn’t give you the right to live anyhow because He will return! The question is: “Will you be ready when He comes?” “Or will you be impatience and therefore miss rapture?”

Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James‬ ‭1:3-4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Be patient! Why do you need to be patient? Because you want to arrive where you know you belong! Because you know what God has promised you! You may call it delay but God calls it the process to form and build you! 

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭40:31‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Why do you wait with fasting? Because your flesh doesn’t want to wait! Your flesh is always in a hurry. It doesn’t want to wait and therefore in a haste. 

he that believeth shall not make haste. Isaiah‬ ‭28:16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Wait for everything has its time. But while you are waiting, you need to keep expecting! God does a quick work but He doesn’t do it in your time!

To everything, there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3:1‬ ‭KJV‬‬

If you stick to your own plans, you will end up doing things prematurely. Evil shall be done to you (Biblical facts! Part of this life) but if you don’t have the ability to wait, you will not be prepared for the things to come.

For example, if David looked only at how Saul treated him (focusing on the evil done to him), David would never be king! Have self-control! How? We have the spirit of self-control; the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love and when you open this fruit, you will see patience and self-control in it as well! 

When God said He is long-suffering, he is displaying His glory so if you have glory, you have patience! Let God beautify you and make all things beautiful in your life! 

PRAYER: 

Oh Lord, help me to be patient! Let me not be hasty to do things. For You said in Your Word that He that believeth will not make haste! I believe in what You have promised to me! I believe that I will enter into my promise land! The fruit of patience is working in me! Let patience rule over me! I will endure! I will wait! I will not blow it up! I will be all that You called me to be! In Jesus Name, Amen!