Micah 2:7 You descendants of Jacob, should it be said, “Does the Lord become impatient? Does he do such things? Do not his words do good to the one whose ways are upright?” (NIV)
Patience is something that is in short supply, especially at this time of year. Whether we’re waiting in line to be served at a store, or holding on the telephone line for customer support, or waiting online for a new update to download, we get impatient very quickly and often get exasperated with the people who are trying to serve us. We never seem to think that they may have their own deadlines or sales to meet, their own issues or problems in their lives.
Frequently, my wife Evelyn and I go to a fast-food joint for breakfast at the weekend. The staff is very pleasant and the coffee is always good. One of the managers has to bring her kids with her during her weekend morning shift. Usually, her children are good and well behaved, but sometimes they are cranky and tired which means that she has to deal with their issues, as well as serving the customers. I don’t know how she manages to get through her shift; she must have a great deal of patience dealing with her kids and the public at the same time.
Today’s verse is about God’s patience with His people, especially during those times when they turned away from Him and rejected His counsel. Despite having received many blessings from God over several centuries, His people still ended up taking God for granted and broke their faith with Him. Instead of focusing on God and thanking Him for His goodness, they became self-centered and were distracted by their own desires. They wasted the blessings that God had graciously given them which made them ungrateful, impatient, and disrespectful.
As we get nearer to Christmas, perhaps we should patiently ponder these questions: Who am I really serving this Christmas? Have I become distracted by other things?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we often forget about God’s great work of patient salvation which took centuries to perfect. We are too preoccupied with ourselves that we are in danger of displacing You at the heart of Christmas and turning it into a celebration of Self-mas. Forgive our selfish ways and foolish notions. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.
John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.
Today’s image is one of John’s latest Nativity drawings called “Momma’s Little Star.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Star.
