God's Patience

http://bible.com/59/2pe.3.9.esv

We live in such a fast paced world.  It is getting worse.  All of our instant access to people and information makes us expect that all things should come so instantly.  I find it so funny that my parents would send me off to camp knowing that the only communication with me would be for emergencies over a land line phone...and they would only get information about said emergency if someone was home to receive the call.  They, otherwise, may have gotten a letter or postcard from me saying hello, but that was likely to get to them AFTER I had already come home.  I believe my parents, and all previous generations of parents, had a much stronger prayer life.  They had to completely give their children away to wherever they went.  Even for a bike ride around the block.

Today, if someone doesn't answer our text messages quickly enough one of three things happen.
1.  We wonder if that person is upset with us.
2.  We are offended that we aren't important enough for an immediate response.
3.  They are dead.

No patience.  Then, we become so preoccupied mentally on whichever of those three things we jumped to that we cannot focus on the task at hand.

We want God to answer immediately, too. When He doesn't we think:
1. He isn't listening.
2. He doesn't care,,.our request is insignificant.
3. He is taking too long.

But this verse says quite the opposite.  We can mark off one and two. Peter is explaining why there is not answer and it isn't because He hasn't heard or us doesn't care. He isn't being slow so we can mark that off the list.  He is being patient.  I love the use of the word toward in this translation.  It doesn't say He is patient with us (though other translations do).  With means accompanied by or possessing. Toward means in the direction, in relation to or going on; in progress.  The word toward implies forward motion.  God patience is moving in our direction and is in progress.  I like that.  We are on the receiving end of His patience (which goes back to my first post on patience and why Paul would pray for others to have His patience).

The Message translation says that God isn't putting us off, but He "is restraining Himself".  So, why?  Well, God is joy so we know that His patience is with joy.  And on my second post I talked about hope being the same as patience with joy.  And hope is knowing that there is a positive return for the waiting...the enduring. Look back at the verse.  What is God's positive return?

That people would know Him and be saved.

Now, I know, I know.  In light of your circumstances that this may not be comforting.  God isn't immediately giving out justice maybe. Or you desperately need money...or a spouse, or a child, or just some answer of any kind.  It is so hard to wait!!!!  But allow the patience that is being directed toward you to sink in your soul.

God isn't in heaven with His nose up and avoiding you.  He is intently focused on you and all around you.  Someone in your midst needs Him.  Don't miss it!  Don't be consumed with your need for answer that you miss someone's need for a Savior.

If our heart is truly aligned with God then we want what He wants too, right?  And we still need our answer, right?  So maybe we could think of it this way...if God tarries on a promise for you then maybe He is about to give you a two for one! A promise for you and salvation for someone else.

Sounds good to me.

More on patience

I found this quote today.  I thought it went well with my studying yesterday...

“Timing is so important! If you are going to be successful in dance, you must be able to respond to rhythm and timing. It’s the same in the Spirit. People who don’t understand God’s timing can become spiritually spastic, trying to make the right things happen at the wrong time. They don’t get His rhythm – and everyone can tell they are out of step. They birth things prematurely, threatening the very lives of their God-given dreams.” ~ T. D. Jakes

Loved that.

So, today I looked around some more.  I wish I had access to some of the books and study tools that Beth Moore or Priscilla Shirer have...but then I'd be a weirdo, nerdy hermit reading them all.  But anyways...

I came across this verse today:
Romans 8:24-25 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

There is a lot of waiting going on in this passage.  Actually, if you back up a couple of verses to see what "in this hope" is referring to you will see there is even more waiting.  In vv. 22 and 23, Romans talks about the groaning of creation and of our own bodies as we WAIT to be set free from corruption and on the redemption of our bodies.  We are saved by hoping that these things are going to happen because of Christ...that is waiting.

Verse 24 above says if we hope for something that we can see that is not considered hope.  Its saying that would be silly, right?  If I were holding a Reese Peanut Butter Egg (and I actually just was...was) and I said, "I wish I had a Reese Peanut Butter Egg!"  People would look at me like I was crazy...cause I'd be hoping for something that I could see...could obtain easily.  But the scripture says "But if we hope for what we do not see..." meaning longing for something you haven't obtained is actual hope.  It says if we hope that like, then we will WAIT for it with patience.  Now, I'm not the best writer.  I write how I think.  So, I'm going to try to unscramble my brains here.

It occurred to me that the words wait and patience are usually tied together.  We think if someone has to wait on something then they are to be patient. We think if someone is needing patience that they are waiting on something.  We tell kids to be patient when waiting on their turn, we tell single people be patient the right one is coming, we tell ourselves be patient with the workout plan because results are coming, be patient the Lord is working, be patient, be patient, be patient...

So waiting and being patient are not synonyms.  One word, waiting, implies that something is out of your control.  The other word, patience, describes your behavior as you endure what is out of your control.  So, patience is a choice.  We could easily tell kids to be anxious when waiting on their turn, we could tell single people be anxious about the right one coming, be anxious over the Lord working, be anxious about the workout plan showing results, be anxious, be anxious, be anxious.

The funny thing is that it would be more correct to say that the words wait and anxious are synonyms. right?  That is what we default to in our human state.  The biggest problem with anxiety is that it tells your brain there is a negative option.  You may not get your turn so you better cut in line.  You may not meet Mr. Right sitting back and waiting so take the reigns.  The Lord is busy with something else so go ahead and do what you think.  The workout isn't working so go ahead and eat that candy bar or 12.  Anxiety produces no hope.

So, hope is patience with joy.  You can wait (with patience) that you will have a turn.  Hope is patience with joy.  Patience with joy is knowing that there is a positive return for your waiting.  

We hope for what we have not seen, believing Christ is who He says He is, and that the return for this patience with joy is that we will be set free from bondage into glorious freedom...that our bodies be redeemed.  We have hope...patience with joy.

I'm not really sure how to close out all that I am thinking.  Maybe with how it applies to something in the present?

If I can hope that Jesus Christ is coming back for me because I believe He, as the Son of God, died for my sins then...surely I can hope that He would be taking care of any other minor issue.  I can have patience with joy...I can hope for a positive return, because God.  Because I know God and He knows me.

Patience with Joy...

I have a lot more time on my hands to spend with the Lord right now because of my recent surgery.  I'm just resting a lot.  So I wanted to make sure that I make use of that extra time I have with Him...and actually use that time to be with Him.

So, yesterday, I read chapter 1 of Colossians.  I had to read it three times, because clarity is hard to come by when you are taking pain meds.  Anyways...after the third time through, verse 11 jumped out.  It says,

May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy...

Patience...with joy??  I am strengthened...with God's strength...for patience WITH JOY.  Well, obviously, this HAS to be with God's strength, because my strength does not support joyful patience.  In this passage, Paul is telling Christians in Colosse that he is praying for them to receive this strength from the Lord.  Yeah, Paul knows we do not naturally jump to the emotion of joy when waiting.

I know that in God's dictionary, joy does not mean happiness necessarily.  The worldly definition, or Websters, says that joy is a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.  But, the bible says "the joy of the Lord is your strength" Nehemiah 8:10.  In other words, our joy is based on God's feeling of great pleasure and happiness.  We find strength in what He joys over. I see God's definition of joy like this...a parent tells her child, "I have a surprise for you!"  The child sees the joy on the parent's face.  They see mom's excitement over handing over a gift to the child they love.  Though the child has no idea what they are about to receive, they trust in the parent's love and adopt the same feeling of elation and excitement as they wait to be handed their gift.  Going back to Colossians 1:11 then means that God strengthens us with all power by His joy.  Then, we are strengthened to endure and be patient with His joy because our joy and strength is His joy and strength. He knows what He is about to do and finds pleasure in giving us good gifts.  We seek His face and adopt that same joy as we wait to receive it. Does that make sense?

So, then I decided to study what the bible says about patience and waiting on the Lord.  I wanted to look for reasons to trust that "patience with joy" is better than patience with tongue out, lips poked, arms crossed, foot tapping, eye rolling, etc.

I googled "scriptures on patience" and the first verses I got were actually a non-example of patience with joy. 1 Samuel 13:8-14 (ESV):

He [Saul] waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel.  But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him.  So Saul said, "Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings."  And he offered the burnt offering.  As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came.  And Saul went out to meet him and greet him.  Samuel said, "What have you done?" And Saul said, "When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, I said, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.' So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering."  And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly.  You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you.  For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.  But now your kingdom shall not continue.  The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you."

First. let me explain what Saul messed up on...two things.  He did wait the appropriate seven days as instructed, but after that Samuel, the priest, was to preside over the offerings. So, problem number one was that Saul did the offerings instead of Samuel.  Problem number two was that Saul was a king, not a priest.  It was not his God-ordained job to preside over the offerings.  Only priests were to offer sacrifices.

So, at first, it seems like Saul was going to make it!  He waited seven days, right?  But if you read the passage prior to verse 8, you would see that Saul was feeling some pressure.  He was nervous going into battle...already struggling with trusting God in his circumstance.  He had people looking to him to see what the next course of action would be.  But as the people became antsy or bored..whatever it was they were feeling, they began to disperse.  Saul goes into panic mode.  He believes his army is leaving him and that he will not be successful in an attack by the Philistines.  So, Saul takes matters into his own hands.  Saul never had patience with joy.  He had patience with a plan B.

How often do we do that?  We say "oh, I'm going to pray over this for a week and if I haven't heard anything then I will just do xyz."  Or we say, "I know God wants this job done, so I'll just do it" even if we never received a call from the Lord to do someone else's job.  We try to force God's hand of favor and blessings.  But He doesn't joy in that.  So...there is no joy in that.  There is more anxiety.  More unknowing. More second guessing. And in Saul's case more fear.

What if Saul had been that giddy child waiting to see what God had in store for him?  Focusing on God's face, bursting with joy over what was about to happen, instead of focusing on the circumstances around him?

God used this for good, of course, and brought David in as prince...a man after His own heart.  But what could God have done with mighty Saul?  Now, he (and we) will never know. His reign as king was shortened, because of his impatience.

Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate

Another Birchbox review!  This is Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate.  This is what Birchbox had to say about the product:

"Shiseido has taken charge with this concentrate, which enhances skin’s defensive power against signs of aging from both external and internal factors (think: dryness, air pollution, UV rays, and stress). It works hard to help strengthen so skin can fight age-accelerating damage—for a supple, more glowing complexion."

I usually am skeptical when I get products that claim to fight "age-accelerating damage".  Not because I don't think the product will work, but skeptical that I will see the benefits of the product with a small sample.  I am not sure that I can comment on its anti-aging abilities, but I definitely can say that in the two weeks that I used this morning and night (yes, it lasted that long) that my complexion is more supple and more glowing.  My skin looks really healthy.  Someone told me last night that I didn't look like I had been long out of college...um, I'm 39!  Ha!  I think this product combined with the Dr. Jart+ BB are what got me looking so young.  

The price is steep for me. $65 for 30ml.  I am used to my Oil of Olay...not quite close to that price range.  But I am planning on being better about my product reviews and hopefully I can get enough points to knock down the price for me on Birchbox!

See! I won!!! Thanks Birchbox!!

Dr. Jart+ Black Label Detox: Beauty Balm

Next sample...

This is Dr. Jart+'s BB Cream (in case you didn't read the blog title).  It does seem like a small sample but you don't really need a lot of this to know whether you like it or not.  

I actually DO like it.  I don't use beauty balms...I'm not sure I see their point, but I always like to try out samples of them.  This bb cream is the first one I've used that covers like a foundation.  I am wearing it today (no pic though because I still look a mess).  I wore it over my Oil of Olay moisturizer, and then I just applied loose powder over that.  I think my skin tone looks very even and, again, I like the coverage that this cream provides.  This line of BB cream is supposed to promote collagen growth (which I need at 39) and also covers the UVA and UVB spectrum.

Here is what Birchbox says about the product: "Their premium formula is a five-in-one primer, serum, moisturizer, SPF, and sheer tint. It uses exotic caviar extract and other actives to tame problem complexions."

So, I have used this a couple of times now, and I still have enough for probably a couple more applications.  This is a great product for me to use when I want to look better than how I woke up, but not as made up as I would for a date with the hubs.  Would I buy the full size?  Yes. A 1.5 oz bottle is $36.  It is expensive, but most really good skin products are more pricey. I would consider ordering this product in the future.

SKIN&CO Truffle Body Milk

Here the first sample from my October Birchbox that I'd like to review.  This is SKIN&CO's Super Enrich Body Milk in Truffle.  I do not know anything about this company, and this is the first time that I have ever received a sample of their product in my Birchbox.  I got two little paper packet samples like this in my box.

I applied this lotion to my legs and hands after my bath at night.  I had enough lotion in the samples to to try it for two nights.  I am not sure that is quite enough of a sample to know if it benefited my skin.  The product description on Birchbox says that this is an anti-aging product.  I definitely did not have enough of the product to reap those benefits.  It is a creamy formula, but not heavy like a body butter.  It has a cocoa butter smell to it.  In fact, my daughter sat by me on the coach after I had applied it and asked if I had used cocoa butter.  It is a very light, warm scent.

I liked this body milk.  I typically like unscented lotion for every day use, because I wear perfume and don't want the scents to mingle.  But I did like this smell.  Especially to use at night, as I did, since the smell is very light.  I don't want to go to bed smelling like a gardenia.

So, would I purchase this product to use at home? Probably not.  The full size bottle is $35.  I liked it, but I would rather purchase makeup for that amount! :)