October 2021
Nougat 29
Perhaps Edgar Guest had today’s Holy Nougat
“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.” Galatians 5:22-23, 25 NLT
“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud”. 1 Corinthians 13:4 NLT
In my younger days, the King James Version uses ‘Long suffering’ for Patience, and in some ways it is more accurate. Long suffering gives an immediate word picture of trials or even a series of unfortunate events that one endures, whereas we have to grasp Romans 5 fully for us to realize that Patience is born in seasons of testing. Whichever term we prefer, having Forbearance like the Widow with the Judge (see Luke 18:1-6) is no easy feat. For many of us, the weight of the wait is Rough.
Often when simplifying Patience or Long suffering, I think of the movie, ‘Are we there yet?’, or the title phrase. Biblically, Job is presented as patient (though I prefer Faithful), as Job endured his calamities to the joyous end. I often argue that Job never cursed God, but he had moments when he thought his life worthless. Nevertheless he held on.
And I guess that’s what we take from Patience and more so, why it’s a gift of God’s Spirit. For, especially in this throwaway culture in which most of us reside, waiting … enduring … suffering … forbearing through Life’s many and varied situations is not quite natural. I confess, Patience is one of those fruit bits that God’s Spirit is perfecting in me; but I have had Job moments (or something close in my own estimation). I only refer to the long season of what felt like interminable suffering. Nothing else.
Having come out with my mind, and having survived only because of God’s Grace I KNOW that God’s Spirit keeps us going through those seasons. I encourage us, especially if this is one of Those Seasons; Hold firmly to God’s Spirit. “It may seem like forever; but it’s not for long.” By God’s Grace and with God’s Spirit, we will endure.
A word from Edgar Guest –
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
And the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns.
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than it seems
To a faint and faltering man.
Often the struggler has given up when he
Might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are.
It may be near when it seems afar.
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit.
It’s when things seem worst that
You musn’t quit.
God bless you.
—
May all we seek be found in Christ