Patience. Most people’s least favorite word. A dangerous thing to pray for. And one of the hardest things to practice. 

The dictionary defines patience as “the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation or the like.” 

In II Peter 3, it is talking about all the evil in the world and how wonderful the day will be when the Lord finally returns to take us home and save us from all of it. But in II Peter 3:15 it says, “Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation.” 

Our Lord’s PATIENCE means salvation. 

The longer He waits to return, the larger the number grows of people who know Him and are saved. The longer He waits to restore the children who already know Him, the more broken and lost children will be brought to Him. 

Love is patient, - I Corinthians 13:4

In I Corinthians 13 - the “Love Chapter” - the first thing that it says love is, is patient. And this is obvious when we think of how Jesus loves us; how much has He endured for our sake? How much has He put up with without complaint? But what about when we think about our love for Him. This chapter is not only teaching us how God loves us, and how we should love others, but how we should love Him. And it is extremely significant that patient is the first thing that He tells us love is.  

We love Him, by waiting on Him.  

Another definition of patience in the dictionary is “quiet, steady perseverance.” 

God has quietly and steadily persevered in His love for us, how much more should we persevere in our love for Him in that same way? If His patience with us, is bringing about the salvation of the world, what could our patience with Him bring about in our own hearts? 

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. - Psalm 130:5-6

Wait for Him.