Make my life a prayer to you

A beauty for ashes bible verse for you. Job 14:7-9: “Indeed there is hope for a tree. If it’s cut down and still sprouting and its shoots don’t fail, if its roots age in the ground and its stump dies in the dust, at the scent of water, it will bud and produce sprouts like a plant.”
God’s patience toward us is credited with doing something amazing: His patience plays a huge part in the transformation process of our life: His patience, along with his kindness, are able to “lead you to repentance” (Rom. 2:4).

Proverbs 19:11 explains, “A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.” According to Ecclesiastes 7:13, “Patience is better than pride.” Whoever is patient toward people “has great understanding” (Pr. 14:29) and “calms a quarrel” (Pr. 15:18). Proverbs 16:32 goes so far as to say, “Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.”

God describes himself as “the Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin” (Ex. 34:6-7b).
Patience in the Bible comes to us from God: “God is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). It’s because of God’s patience toward us that we are able to be saved from our sins (2 Peter 3:15). Paul personalized it by saying, “I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life” (1 Tim. 1:16). He not only gives us patience in providing us with salvation, but, once we are saved, he continues to provide us with patience and endurance so that we can live the faithful life (Col. 1:11).

It’s this same patience we must pass onto others. We clothe ourselves with patience (2 Cor. 6:6), patiently bear with one another in love (Eph. 4:2) and instruct people with “great patience and careful instruction” (2 Tim. 4:2). If we truly love people, we’ll be patient with them, since “love is patient” (1 Cor. 13:4).

Allow patience to take root in order to taken up the noble and beautiful task of 2 Timothy 2:24-26:
“And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.”

The song for today is from Keith Green: Make my life a prayer to you. Consider making it your prayer today.

Grace and peace to you.