The Fruit Of The Spirit
By Sandy Simpson

Lesson 1 - Love
Lesson 2 - Joy
Lesson 3 - Peace
Lesson 4 - Patience
Lesson 5 - Kindness
Lesson 6 - Goodness
Lesson 7 - Faithfulness
Lesson 8 - Gentleness
Lesson 9 - Self-control

LESSON 4 - PATIENCE

Biblical Examples Of Patience

There are many examples of people who were patient in the Bible.  The prophets were patient men, waiting on God, sometimes for years.  They sometimes had to wait for God to speak or to act.  This took faith, patience, and perseverance.  One man who had these traits perhaps more than any other was Job.  James speaks of Job this way:

James 3:10-11   Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

Job was a rich man and blessed with family and friends.  He would regularly sacrifice on behalf of his children after they got together for a feast in case they had sinned.  But as you all know the story, Satan challenged God's blessings on Job by saying that Job would curse God if God took away those blessings.  The God allowed Satan to take his children, possessions, and even physical health away.  Job's friends then came when Job was in terrible pain and added to it by accusing Job of doing something wrong to deserve the judgment of God.  In the middle of this trial Job makes one of the strongest statements of faith we have in the Bible.

Job 1:21  "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised."

Job was content to place his faith and fate in the hands of his Creator.  Job recognized that God had the right to do anything in this universe because it is His Creation.  This should be enough for us also.  But in modern times we seem to need more.  And there is more.  God would not allow Job to suffer without just cause.  He used the suffering of Job to prove Satan wrong and as a witness to Job's friends and everyone who has heard his story since that time.  Sometimes God uses trials to build our faith and accomplish higher purposes that we may know nothing of.  We should learn to be patient and wait on the Lord.  The Lord will bring everything to justice, if not now then in the end.  God was merciful and not only accomplished his purposes but blessed Job far more than he had before with new sons and daughters, possessions and a name that would never be forgotten in the history of mankind.

Col 3:12   Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.