”…That He may lift you up in due time.” I Peter 5:6b
Time is set up in zones as the earth rotates the sun. But there is another zone over ours, as it is from above. This zone is called, ‘due time’. It belongs to God and is why we are to be patient in affliction (Romans 12:12). God does what He does and in the time it is to be done. He knows best (more too) and is working out everything for ourb good and the good of others. In Galatians 4:4, ‘due time’ is known as the fullness of time and in Galatians 6:9, it is ‘at the proper time’. Given this, we must not become weary in doing good because we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Patience (makrothumia) means the same - slow: to quit; to anger; to panic; or to complain. In short, we are long suffering because of what / who we know…
GOD IS IN CONTROL…
”Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand…” I Peter 5:6a
The truth is, we control very few things in life. It’s in these things we need patience. In the areas we have control, we can handle ourselves. Peter instructs us to, humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift us up. This is done when we admit we don’t have a mighty hand, and that God alone has the power to save, lift or deliver. Knowing this develops patience. When we trust in ourselves we become impatient, but if we submit our lives into God’s hands, He will handle what we cannot. Our humility and trust allows the Holy Spirit to work patience.
…AND HE CARES.
”Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you.” I Peter 5:7
Have you ever done something rash and later had regrets over your actions? I know I have. panic, desperation, or fear, can cause us to do some dumb stuff. If only we took a moment to collect our thoughts we might have done - or said things differently. One of the tricks of the devil is to get us to rush so we make rash or reckless decisions. The devil is always in a hurry to deliver us the news that God doesn’t hear or care and that we need to take action, or we will lose out. David said in Psalm 37:23, God makes our steps (stops) firm. If God is with us we cannot lose.
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