User Notice Forum Links
Related Threads
Coming Soon
Thread Information
Thread Actions
Thread Closed
New Thread
New Poll
Order
Patience
10-07-12 08:46 PM
Singelli is Offline
| ID: 667801 | 2197 Words
Singelli is Offline
| ID: 667801 | 2197 Words
Singelli
Level: 161
POSTS: 537/8698
POST EXP: 1189395
LVL EXP: 53224825
CP: 67335.2
VIZ: 3148028
POSTS: 537/8698
POST EXP: 1189395
LVL EXP: 53224825
CP: 67335.2
VIZ: 3148028
Likes: 0 Dislikes: 0
*heaves a great big sigh* Alright, so we all know the story of Job. Job was this amazingly dedicated guy who was very righteous and very rich. Like most people, he had a family and had a few children. Unfortunately, his children were not all that righteous and he feared for their souls. He felt that they had put their hearts against God, and so he offered sacrifices on regular bases to ask forgiveness of their sins. In a conversation between God and Satan, Satan claims that Job is only so faithful because he has God's protection and because God continually blesses him. He makes a wager, betting that if God put His hand against Job, then Job would turn his back to God and curse him. God however knows Job's heart, and so he gives Satan permission to test Job's resolve. (And notice.... God has power over even Satan!) Things in Job's life start changing. He loses his oxen and donkeys to thieves, his sheep are burned in a great fire, his camels are stolen by yet again another group of people, and his ten children get killed by a storm that knocks their house down. Although I'm sure Satan expected that he would be able to gloat, he has no such luck. Despite ALL that Job goes through, he simply falls to his knees and rents his clothes, crying out that he was naked and cursed as he was born, and that he shall die naked and cursed. And then, to the astonishment of many readers, Job praises and blesses God! Even now, thinking about it, I'm slightly choked up, Can you imagine losing your wealth, your livelihood, and your children (ten of them!), and then falling to your knees and honoring God? Even in the face of devastation, Job recognized that God is Almighty and good to us. Never once did he blame God for his losses or question why he had been a victim of such cruelties. Despite the amazing show of love for God and endurance, however, Satan is not satisfied. He thinks to himself that if Job would not curse God for the sake o loss of his possessions, that surely he would for the loss of his health and physical well-being. God still holds confidence in Job and tells Satan to go ahead and attempt to turn Job through physical means so long as he doesn't take from Job's life. Satan gives Job terrible boils all over his body. Job, who sits in ashes is scraping his skin with broken pottery to try and ease the boils when his wife tempts him. She encourages him to just curse God and die. (What kind of a wife would do that? I mean, not only is she expressing contempt for his physical state of being, but she's also encouraging him to turn away from the very source of Job's happiness. She sounds like a terrible woman in my opinion!) Even then, Job refuses. He chides his wife and tells her that if they should accept good from God, they should also be willing to accept less favorable life events. He understands that God is perfect and Holy, and that God would not put him through something he cannot overcome. If God has allowed him to receive these boils, then God has done so for a reason. He calls his wife foolish and continues to be faithful to God. Four friends come to visit with Job and console him, sitting with him for seven days. However, since they can see that he is in so much pain, they say nothing to him at all. Job remains quiet, having confidence that God will be just. However, Job finally breaks the silence and curses not God,but the day he was born. This spurs a conversation between him and his three friends. They refuse to believe that Job has done nothing to deserve his struggles and they say that Job must have committed some in in order to be in such a grievous situation. His friends chide him for refusing to confess his sins because he insists that he is innocent. They can't even agree to what sin he might have committed, and the make no room in their understanding of God for 'divine discretion and mystery'. They can't fathom that God would allow suffering for reasons other than retribution. Job does protest his situation and looks for an explanation, though he never accuses God of being unfair. God answers Job's words, saying that there is much that Job doesn't understand, and that Job should remember that He is greater than any thunderstorm and very strong. Job breaks down and says that he is unworthy, and asks God how he could reply to Him, saying that he will cover his mouth with his hands. God rebukes the friends for the things they said among each other, and Job is restored. He gets a new family and twice as much livestock as he had before. His daughters are seen as the most beautiful in the land, and he lives another 140 years. Of course, the story is much, MUCH deeper than this. The philosophy and religious ideals found in the book of Job are astonishing and meaningful. However, this isn't a thread to delve into those kind of ideas. Wasn't Job amazing? I mean, in the end, Job did question God, but it was only due to his lack of understanding for his plight. He was confident that God would not allow him these suffering without reason, but he grew frustrated because he could not see or understand the 'big picture'. Even when questioning God in his frustration though, his heart knew God had a reason. I've been through some pretty tough things. I can't claim they've been all that tough when I look at what other people are going through or have gone through, but each person is unique in their own struggles. Growing up, I struggled with my own faith because I lived in a home where the idea of God was "Hey be good or you'll go to hell and not heaven." My father was the most 'religious' of all of us, but his parents had been Mormon and he grew to resent and have a lack of faith in the Mormon's belief system. Not knowing much about relationships with Christ myself, it was very confusing to hear him talk about God when he wanted us to behave, but then also talking about the fact that the Mormon religion was a bunch of nonsense. Then when I became rebellious and was kicked out of the house, I struggled with figuring out who I was. I had a deep desire to know Christ, but I didn't know what it took to be saved and I viewed myself as a true Christian. Therefore, I was unaware of what was missing in my life, and I started making horrible decisions. I committed sin after sin... things I never imagined myself doing, and yet I seemed unable to help myself. I didn't care because I was selfish and only wanted what felt good to me. On the same token, I began to hate myself for the things I was doing, and I would do them even MORE to try and bury that hate. Needless to say, it was a spiraling circle that got worse and worse. I didn't even have a family or wealth to lose, and I felt pity for the situation I found myself in. I was in perfect health and had a bright future ahead of me. The things I faced were not all that egregious, and yet I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. How I laugh at that now! One day, God smacked me across the forehead. After months of online discussion and witnessing by my (now husband), I came to the realization of why everything in my life was so wrong. I was not saved, and my life was full of demonic influences. The Holy Spirit overtook me and I gave my life to God. Though it was so... SO hard for me, I cleaned my life up. I went through my apartment and got rid of anything and everything I could that might displease God. My siblings and my parents didn't understand it. In fact, they thought I was outright nuts, and just going along with the whims of my latest friend. However, I knew that I was in it for God. Instead of trying to please my physical body, I was now trying to please my spiritual one. This meant handing EVERYTHING over to God. Trusting him to help me with patience was just one of those things I had to get used to. You see, as sinners, I think we are wired to desire control. We want to handle -everything- ourselves. In fact, if someone supposes any form of authority over us, we want to act out and rebel. Workers are always apt to complain about bosses no matter how good they might be, children are always going to complain about their parents, and younger siblings are always going to complain about older siblings. It's in our nature. Even if things are great, we will eventually find SOME thing to complain about, and it stems from that need to be on top of our own lives. It's a sense of entitlement to what we think is ours. We need to remember that our lives do not belong to US. They belong to God. When we became saved, we gave ourselves to God, and we established that we love, honor, and trust Him. This can't be partially given. Even us who 'have the patience of Job' will crack at some point, whether the issue be small or big. What happened in your life recently that caused you to call on God for patience? (Even if it's a small thing) As a teacher of young adults, I am sure my instances are more numerous than many people's. Thus, I'll try to stray away from those stories unless I really REALLY need to vent about them. (If I shared those, I'd be posting here every day and boring all of you! LOL) However, I did have one moment of needing patience today. Though it was small, I want to post it for exactly that purpose. As I share this little tidbit, please keep in mind the trials that Job went through monetarily, physically, and emotionally. Today, I started typing up my math textbook. Though I've started this numerous times over the years, I've always either lost the work, or I simply gave up and the file disappeared somewhere. Therefore, this was probably the dozenth or so time I've stated this dream project of mine. I was even more eager because I was going to post it here and I was hoping to get some feedback on it. I know there are many people here that would be rusty on math, and since my goal is to describe the math in the easiest way possible, I couldn't imagine a better audience! Anyways, I worked on it off and on for hours, and I was so proud of myself: this was my best attempt yet. The words were flowing just right,everything made so much sense to me. Furthermore, I knew that once I got it posted here, it would always BE here, meaning I couldn't lose it on a jump drive or on a broken laptop, or in an email that gets deleted, etc. etc. I was almost at a stopping point, too. had finished an introductory letter, a chapter one introduction, and a full index for the back of the book. I had maybe two sentences to go, when... guess what? My screen blinked and for SOME reason, my browser closed. There was no warning, only McAffee popping up and asking me to pay for a paid version of their internet protection because my laptop came with a promo thing. I'm going to mimic one of my students for a moment: "I was THAT mad!!!!" I wanted to toss the table on the floor! LOL I'm not normally one to anger easily, but I felt like I was going to lose it!!!! I had to call on the Lord and BEG him to calm my heart rate! He did, and you know what's odd? I didn't feel the desire to try the math book again, but instead I felt the desire to write this and read the chapter of Job. I hadn't read my bible in a while, so I'm glad this happened. I guess God just wanted a little one on one time with me.  It just amazes me though, how simple some of our trials are, and how complicated our emotions can be. We have petty flesh, and sometimes I just have to step back and remind myself of that. I'm still upset over losing the text of course, but after considering Job's plights, I realize that mine is not so big after all. (I just wish I could remember half of what I had written! LOL) Alright, so we all know the story of Job. Job was this amazingly dedicated guy who was very righteous and very rich. Like most people, he had a family and had a few children. Unfortunately, his children were not all that righteous and he feared for their souls. He felt that they had put their hearts against God, and so he offered sacrifices on regular bases to ask forgiveness of their sins. In a conversation between God and Satan, Satan claims that Job is only so faithful because he has God's protection and because God continually blesses him. He makes a wager, betting that if God put His hand against Job, then Job would turn his back to God and curse him. God however knows Job's heart, and so he gives Satan permission to test Job's resolve. (And notice.... God has power over even Satan!) Things in Job's life start changing. He loses his oxen and donkeys to thieves, his sheep are burned in a great fire, his camels are stolen by yet again another group of people, and his ten children get killed by a storm that knocks their house down. Although I'm sure Satan expected that he would be able to gloat, he has no such luck. Despite ALL that Job goes through, he simply falls to his knees and rents his clothes, crying out that he was naked and cursed as he was born, and that he shall die naked and cursed. And then, to the astonishment of many readers, Job praises and blesses God! Even now, thinking about it, I'm slightly choked up, Can you imagine losing your wealth, your livelihood, and your children (ten of them!), and then falling to your knees and honoring God? Even in the face of devastation, Job recognized that God is Almighty and good to us. Never once did he blame God for his losses or question why he had been a victim of such cruelties. Despite the amazing show of love for God and endurance, however, Satan is not satisfied. He thinks to himself that if Job would not curse God for the sake o loss of his possessions, that surely he would for the loss of his health and physical well-being. God still holds confidence in Job and tells Satan to go ahead and attempt to turn Job through physical means so long as he doesn't take from Job's life. Satan gives Job terrible boils all over his body. Job, who sits in ashes is scraping his skin with broken pottery to try and ease the boils when his wife tempts him. She encourages him to just curse God and die. (What kind of a wife would do that? I mean, not only is she expressing contempt for his physical state of being, but she's also encouraging him to turn away from the very source of Job's happiness. She sounds like a terrible woman in my opinion!) Even then, Job refuses. He chides his wife and tells her that if they should accept good from God, they should also be willing to accept less favorable life events. He understands that God is perfect and Holy, and that God would not put him through something he cannot overcome. If God has allowed him to receive these boils, then God has done so for a reason. He calls his wife foolish and continues to be faithful to God. Four friends come to visit with Job and console him, sitting with him for seven days. However, since they can see that he is in so much pain, they say nothing to him at all. Job remains quiet, having confidence that God will be just. However, Job finally breaks the silence and curses not God,but the day he was born. This spurs a conversation between him and his three friends. They refuse to believe that Job has done nothing to deserve his struggles and they say that Job must have committed some in in order to be in such a grievous situation. His friends chide him for refusing to confess his sins because he insists that he is innocent. They can't even agree to what sin he might have committed, and the make no room in their understanding of God for 'divine discretion and mystery'. They can't fathom that God would allow suffering for reasons other than retribution. Job does protest his situation and looks for an explanation, though he never accuses God of being unfair. God answers Job's words, saying that there is much that Job doesn't understand, and that Job should remember that He is greater than any thunderstorm and very strong. Job breaks down and says that he is unworthy, and asks God how he could reply to Him, saying that he will cover his mouth with his hands. God rebukes the friends for the things they said among each other, and Job is restored. He gets a new family and twice as much livestock as he had before. His daughters are seen as the most beautiful in the land, and he lives another 140 years. Of course, the story is much, MUCH deeper than this. The philosophy and religious ideals found in the book of Job are astonishing and meaningful. However, this isn't a thread to delve into those kind of ideas. Wasn't Job amazing? I mean, in the end, Job did question God, but it was only due to his lack of understanding for his plight. He was confident that God would not allow him these suffering without reason, but he grew frustrated because he could not see or understand the 'big picture'. Even when questioning God in his frustration though, his heart knew God had a reason. I've been through some pretty tough things. I can't claim they've been all that tough when I look at what other people are going through or have gone through, but each person is unique in their own struggles. Growing up, I struggled with my own faith because I lived in a home where the idea of God was "Hey be good or you'll go to hell and not heaven." My father was the most 'religious' of all of us, but his parents had been Mormon and he grew to resent and have a lack of faith in the Mormon's belief system. Not knowing much about relationships with Christ myself, it was very confusing to hear him talk about God when he wanted us to behave, but then also talking about the fact that the Mormon religion was a bunch of nonsense. Then when I became rebellious and was kicked out of the house, I struggled with figuring out who I was. I had a deep desire to know Christ, but I didn't know what it took to be saved and I viewed myself as a true Christian. Therefore, I was unaware of what was missing in my life, and I started making horrible decisions. I committed sin after sin... things I never imagined myself doing, and yet I seemed unable to help myself. I didn't care because I was selfish and only wanted what felt good to me. On the same token, I began to hate myself for the things I was doing, and I would do them even MORE to try and bury that hate. Needless to say, it was a spiraling circle that got worse and worse. I didn't even have a family or wealth to lose, and I felt pity for the situation I found myself in. I was in perfect health and had a bright future ahead of me. The things I faced were not all that egregious, and yet I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. How I laugh at that now! One day, God smacked me across the forehead. After months of online discussion and witnessing by my (now husband), I came to the realization of why everything in my life was so wrong. I was not saved, and my life was full of demonic influences. The Holy Spirit overtook me and I gave my life to God. Though it was so... SO hard for me, I cleaned my life up. I went through my apartment and got rid of anything and everything I could that might displease God. My siblings and my parents didn't understand it. In fact, they thought I was outright nuts, and just going along with the whims of my latest friend. However, I knew that I was in it for God. Instead of trying to please my physical body, I was now trying to please my spiritual one. This meant handing EVERYTHING over to God. Trusting him to help me with patience was just one of those things I had to get used to. You see, as sinners, I think we are wired to desire control. We want to handle -everything- ourselves. In fact, if someone supposes any form of authority over us, we want to act out and rebel. Workers are always apt to complain about bosses no matter how good they might be, children are always going to complain about their parents, and younger siblings are always going to complain about older siblings. It's in our nature. Even if things are great, we will eventually find SOME thing to complain about, and it stems from that need to be on top of our own lives. It's a sense of entitlement to what we think is ours. We need to remember that our lives do not belong to US. They belong to God. When we became saved, we gave ourselves to God, and we established that we love, honor, and trust Him. This can't be partially given. Even us who 'have the patience of Job' will crack at some point, whether the issue be small or big. What happened in your life recently that caused you to call on God for patience? (Even if it's a small thing) As a teacher of young adults, I am sure my instances are more numerous than many people's. Thus, I'll try to stray away from those stories unless I really REALLY need to vent about them. (If I shared those, I'd be posting here every day and boring all of you! LOL) However, I did have one moment of needing patience today. Though it was small, I want to post it for exactly that purpose. As I share this little tidbit, please keep in mind the trials that Job went through monetarily, physically, and emotionally. Today, I started typing up my math textbook. Though I've started this numerous times over the years, I've always either lost the work, or I simply gave up and the file disappeared somewhere. Therefore, this was probably the dozenth or so time I've stated this dream project of mine. I was even more eager because I was going to post it here and I was hoping to get some feedback on it. I know there are many people here that would be rusty on math, and since my goal is to describe the math in the easiest way possible, I couldn't imagine a better audience! Anyways, I worked on it off and on for hours, and I was so proud of myself: this was my best attempt yet. The words were flowing just right,everything made so much sense to me. Furthermore, I knew that once I got it posted here, it would always BE here, meaning I couldn't lose it on a jump drive or on a broken laptop, or in an email that gets deleted, etc. etc. I was almost at a stopping point, too. had finished an introductory letter, a chapter one introduction, and a full index for the back of the book. I had maybe two sentences to go, when... guess what? My screen blinked and for SOME reason, my browser closed. There was no warning, only McAffee popping up and asking me to pay for a paid version of their internet protection because my laptop came with a promo thing. I'm going to mimic one of my students for a moment: "I was THAT mad!!!!" I wanted to toss the table on the floor! LOL I'm not normally one to anger easily, but I felt like I was going to lose it!!!! I had to call on the Lord and BEG him to calm my heart rate! He did, and you know what's odd? I didn't feel the desire to try the math book again, but instead I felt the desire to write this and read the chapter of Job. I hadn't read my bible in a while, so I'm glad this happened. I guess God just wanted a little one on one time with me. It just amazes me though, how simple some of our trials are, and how complicated our emotions can be. We have petty flesh, and sometimes I just have to step back and remind myself of that. I'm still upset over losing the text of course, but after considering Job's plights, I realize that mine is not so big after all. (I just wish I could remember half of what I had written! LOL) |
Vizzed Elite
Affected by 'Laziness Syndrome'
Registered: 08-09-12
Location: Alabama
Last Post: 2555 days
Last Active: 2530 days
| Singelli |
Affected by 'Laziness Syndrome'
Registered: 08-09-12
Location: Alabama
Last Post: 2555 days
Last Active: 2530 days
10-07-12 08:52 PM
mr.pace is Offline
| ID: 667808 | 94 Words
| ID: 667808 | 94 Words
mr.pace
Level: 61
POSTS: 858/874
POST EXP: 42691
LVL EXP: 1864793
CP: 31.1
VIZ: 6580
POSTS: 858/874
POST EXP: 42691
LVL EXP: 1864793
CP: 31.1
VIZ: 6580
Likes: 0 Dislikes: 0
Excellent. I agree with you completely. The book of Job is one of my favorite books in the Bible. I even post a message very similar to this one here on vizzed board. Mine was more towards the perfection of Job than his patience, but you can not meet that level of perfection with out patience. We are always trying to rush God. We can't make God do anything. God is never late. Seldom early, but He is ALWAYS on time. I am loving this word. Continue to lift up the name of God. |
Perma Banned
Affected by 'Laziness Syndrome'
Registered: 02-17-10
Location: The Dawning of Time
Last Post: 4244 days
Last Active: 4238 days
| I am the prince of peace. Lord of Light mr.pace. |
Affected by 'Laziness Syndrome'
Registered: 02-17-10
Location: The Dawning of Time
Last Post: 4244 days
Last Active: 4238 days
10-07-12 10:33 PM
Singelli is Offline
| ID: 667962 | 38 Words
Singelli is Offline
| ID: 667962 | 38 Words
Singelli
Level: 161
POSTS: 583/8698
POST EXP: 1189395
LVL EXP: 53224825
CP: 67335.2
VIZ: 3148028
POSTS: 583/8698
POST EXP: 1189395
LVL EXP: 53224825
CP: 67335.2
VIZ: 3148028
Likes: 0 Dislikes: 0
Thank you for the encouragement Mr. Pace. I've enjoyed reading your own and I've always wanted to keep a blog of bible studies or reflections. I did alright with it this summer and then just.... got busy. :/ |
Vizzed Elite
Affected by 'Laziness Syndrome'
Registered: 08-09-12
Location: Alabama
Last Post: 2555 days
Last Active: 2530 days
| Singelli |
Affected by 'Laziness Syndrome'
Registered: 08-09-12
Location: Alabama
Last Post: 2555 days
Last Active: 2530 days
10-07-12 11:57 PM
mr.pace is Offline
| ID: 668053 | 64 Words
| ID: 668053 | 64 Words
mr.pace
Level: 61
POSTS: 868/874
POST EXP: 42691
LVL EXP: 1864793
CP: 31.1
VIZ: 6580
POSTS: 868/874
POST EXP: 42691
LVL EXP: 1864793
CP: 31.1
VIZ: 6580
Likes: 0 Dislikes: 0
Glory be unto God and to those that lift up the name of the Lord. God is not pleased in the death of the wicked, but that they would turn from their wicked ways. I can go on and on about the patience of God. We don't deserve His grace, but He is forever patience with us. You just have to thank the Lord. |
Perma Banned
Affected by 'Laziness Syndrome'
Registered: 02-17-10
Location: The Dawning of Time
Last Post: 4244 days
Last Active: 4238 days
| I am the prince of peace. Lord of Light mr.pace. |
Affected by 'Laziness Syndrome'
Registered: 02-17-10
Location: The Dawning of Time
Last Post: 4244 days
Last Active: 4238 days
10-08-12 03:06 AM
SunflowerGaming is Offline
| ID: 668088 | 80 Words
SunflowerGaming is Offline
| ID: 668088 | 80 Words
Level: 93
POSTS: 1920/2319
POST EXP: 140711
LVL EXP: 7981096
CP: 1019.0
VIZ: 131239
POSTS: 1920/2319
POST EXP: 140711
LVL EXP: 7981096
CP: 1019.0
VIZ: 131239
Likes: 0 Dislikes: 0
I have trouble with patience and self-control. I pray to Him all the time and ask him to help me with such matters. He's helped me so many times I can't even remember the number of times. Job is a great example for us to follow. Satan challenged our grand Creator and He surely proved Satan wrong. What an example to follow. He was no where near being a perfect human being but he remained faithful and was greatly blessed. |
Trusted Member
Affected by 'Laziness Syndrome'
Registered: 05-29-10
Location: United States
Last Post: 912 days
Last Active: 912 days
| Courage is not having the strength to go on, it's going on when you don't have the strength. ???? |
Affected by 'Laziness Syndrome'
Registered: 05-29-10
Location: United States
Last Post: 912 days
Last Active: 912 days
10-08-12 10:12 PM
Singelli is Offline
| ID: 668997 | 124 Words
Singelli is Offline
| ID: 668997 | 124 Words
Singelli
Level: 161
POSTS: 659/8698
POST EXP: 1189395
LVL EXP: 53224825
CP: 67335.2
VIZ: 3148028
POSTS: 659/8698
POST EXP: 1189395
LVL EXP: 53224825
CP: 67335.2
VIZ: 3148028
Likes: 0 Dislikes: 0
Today I did much better with patience. When I went to retrieve my 100+ poem/ story from my old laptop, I was most certain that there would be no issues. However, the computer refused to turn on. I've kept that document updated for about a decade now, to suddenly lose it. I had a great many pieces on there. But you know? God allowed me to have complete peace over it. I guess it's time for me to start a new collection.... And just because it wasn't very clear in my original wall of text, I'm going to re-post the question a little more obviously for anyone coming to this thread: What did you have to ask God to give you patience for today? But you know? God allowed me to have complete peace over it. I guess it's time for me to start a new collection.... And just because it wasn't very clear in my original wall of text, I'm going to re-post the question a little more obviously for anyone coming to this thread: What did you have to ask God to give you patience for today? |
Vizzed Elite
Affected by 'Laziness Syndrome'
Registered: 08-09-12
Location: Alabama
Last Post: 2555 days
Last Active: 2530 days
| Singelli |
Affected by 'Laziness Syndrome'
Registered: 08-09-12
Location: Alabama
Last Post: 2555 days
Last Active: 2530 days
Links
Page Comments
This page has no comments
