Tuesday, February 21, 2006

The Language of Patience

Patience consists of a willing submission to the dispensations of divine providence. When Job said, "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble? " (Job 2:10), that was the language of patience. "The cup which my Father has given me, shall I not drink it?" (John 18:11) was the supreme example of this grace. It is the ready acquiescence of the soul to whatever God sees fit to lay upon it. It is the calm enduring of provocation and persecution, especially trial which comes unexpectedly. It is a steady and thankful bearing of all troubles, however grievous and long protracted, mortifying the opposite passions of fear, anger, anxiety, inordinate grief; refusing to be overwhelmed by those troubles, persevering in the discharge of duty to the end; finding relief by faith and in communion with God: resting in His love, leaning on His arms, and encouraging oneself by the certain expectation of that eternal and blessed glory which awaits us after our appointed race is run.
(A.W. Pink)

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