Devotionals by Jill Briscoe

Those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. - 1  Peter 3:20

One of the things that leads to frustration is waiting, especially waiting for people to say they’re sorry. For this, not even the patience of Job will help us. We need the patience of God.

God knows how to wait patiently. How long did God wait for a world at odds with him to say it was sorry? As long as it took Noah to build the ark! God waited, but still a sinful world refused to repent.

When God was on earth in Christ, reconciling the world to himself (2 Corinthians 5:19), he waited thirty-three years—all his life—for some people to say they were sorry. These were people he loved—people who were close to him—people in his very own family! His brothers never did get around to it while he was alive (John 7:5). It took the Resurrection and Ascension to convince Jesus’ brothers that Jesus was the Christ (Acts 1:14).

We might have to wait our whole life to hear those longed-for words I’m sorry. And some of us may never hear those words at all. But we have Jesus! He knows how to wait it out patiently. Remember that patience is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). When we need patience to wait through heartaches, misunderstandings, and hostility, we have Jesus. When we need patience to wait for an apology that may never come, we have Jesus. Patience is love willing to wait out frustration. Yes, for this we have Jesus.

For Further Study: 1 Peter 3:13-22

Excerpted from The One Year Devotions for Women, Copyright ©2000 by Jill Briscoe. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

For more from Jill Briscoe, please visit TellingtheTruth.org.

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