The Next Level: Patience

THE NEXT LEVEL. : PATIENCE

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

COMMENT: A pessimist sees a dark tunnel. An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel. A realist sees a freight train. The train engineer sees 3 idiots standing on the rail road tracks.

I HAVE A QUESTION: FOR WHAT ARE YOU WAITING? Sad is the person that is expecting nothing, for they shall receive exactly what they are expectly!

*PATIENCE: bearing pains and trials calmly without complaint, steadfast despite opposition-difficulty-or adversity, to be able and willing, able to not become annoyed when waiting for a long time, forbearance, to learn to deal with hard problems and difficult people. (My opinion: Every living person is difficult at times.)

I attended a church that was in revival when I was a little boy. There was an older pastor. Near the end of the service there was a standard line: ARE ALL MINDS AND HEARTS CLEAR? A lady gave a testimony and she was crying. She said: I have been praying for PATIENCE. Will you all agree with me that I have more patience? The next night the lady came in and she was crying and ran to the altar. When she had went home after work the next day there was a note on the table. Her husband had left her for her best friend. The Preacher just shook his head and he said: I knew something bad was going to happen when she asked prayer for patience.

Romans 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

That night riding home my dad was so angry. Dad said: GOD WAS CALLING THAT LADY TO THE NEXT LEVEL OF FAITH. God was not punishing that lady for praying for patience. Dad said that had been going on a long time. Dad also said while many in the church saw patience and suffering by man’s visual field, GOD’S NEXT LEVEL OF FAITH WILL MOST CERTAINLY REQUIRE PATIENCE. Dad explained to me God was not punishing that lady for praying for patience… Dad said ETERNAL VALUES differ greatly from man’s distorted views.

Our human opinions and the eternal views of certain issues seldom agree. God’s value system is far above human understanding. God is calling us to grow to THE NEXT LEVEL OF FAITH.

THE NEXT LEVEL: ONE AREA GOD’S VALUE SYSYTEM VARIES SO GREATLY IS DEALING WITH SUFFERING AND AFFLICTIONS.

Isaiah contains many verses that are worthy to consider. One such verse is Isaiah 55: 8-9, maybe we should underline these two verses.

Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

In the light of eternity tribulation should give us the opportunity to find joy and that we should rejoice more than living in misery. Our suffering and afflictions should grow and stretch our faith to the next level. Storms, sufferings and trials teach us humility and patience. The next level brings us a calm assurance and trust in God’s faithfulness. What our enemy planned to destroy us will bring us to new hope and great peace.

Peace is not the absence of problems, peace is in fully trusting the unseen hands of God. These terrible times seem to bring us to doom and gloom in a solid state of hopelessness. HAS GOD ABANDONED ME? Life is but a journey where God is stretching our faith to new levels. GOD’S PLANS ARE HIGHER THAN YOUR THINKING. God sees the next level and He will pursue whatever it takes to get his children to THE NEXT LEVEL.

LET US SUBMIT TO GROW TO THE NEXT LEVEL, GOD’S THOUGHTS ARE HIGHER… THAN ANY LEVEL YOU SEEK…

I HAVE LEARNED SOMETIMES THE WORSE THING THAT COULD EVER HAPPEN TO ME, IS GOD’S PLAN TO BRING OUT THE BEST THING THAT COULD EVER HAPPEN.

2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

In submitting to God’s NEXT LEVEL we come to a great and peaceful thought. God gave his only son to build the bridge of restoration and redemption to the hopeless. We must see life in the LIGHT OF ETERNITY to reach the NEXT LEVEL.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

HEY GOD I WANT YOU TO REMOVE MY PROBLEMS AND TRIALS… RIGHT NOW!…

THERE WAS A GREAT MAN OF GOD THAT SAW THINGS IN THE LIGHT OF HIS EDUCATION AND HUMAN REASONING… AS A MATTER OF FACT THE PREACHER’S UNDERSTANDING SAW THORNS AS BAD. GOD MUST BE PUNISHING ME…??? NO, PAUL, GOD IS CALLING YOU TO THE NEXT LEVEL OF FAITH AND PATIENCE.