One of my biggest problems is patience. I can be quite patient with people, but when it comes to personal progress, especially when I feel that progress is sloth slow, I’m not so patient. Don’t even get me started on set backs or feeling as if I’m going in circles.
Most of my problems stem from not trusting and believing God. I believe in Jesus, but do I believe what He promises? He is our help in time of need and He will supply. If I believe this I should be much more patient, right? Seems easy enough until my hopes are dashed and frustration sets in again because I don’t see that progress. Then I truly am running in circles. I suppose I should at least be happy that I’m still running. I just need to get my bearings.
Faith and Focus
God is guiding. He’s leading the way. I see it, too, but I let doubt creep in far too often. That doubt keeps making me impatient and discouraged. Then it’s not long before my hope begins to plummet.
I have faith, but my faith could use some strength training. Something tells me this is not only going to take time, but it’s also going to take focus and effort. I’m in good company, though, Abraham had to be patient for God’s promise too.
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“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10
Abraham’s Faith ❤
“No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised.”
Romans 4:20-21
…“he looked away from his own physical state, only at the Promise, and did not doubt its terms—just because they were the Promise. So he rose in a great effort and exercise of faith, which consisted in giving glory to God (the ‘glory’ of absolute and adoring trust in Him as God); in being perfectly sure of His ability to keep whatever promise He should in fact make.”
Cambridge Bibles for Schools and Colleges
The nature and power of Abraham’s faith are shown. He believed God’s testimony, and looked for the performance of His promise, firmly hoping when the case seemed hopeless. It is weakness of faith, that makes a man lie poring on the difficulties in the way of a promise.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
We Decide…
“Will you be destroyed by all your doubt.”
You Decide/Fireflight
(Photo credit goes to Pixabay.com user Myagi.)
Pippi's Poetry 
Faith and focus tend to go hand in hand doesn’t it? With focus on God and His word, our faith is definitely strengthened.
Patience is not easy for me too but I am learning. Someone once told me that when we tend to get frustrated that we are not moving forward at the pace we ideally feel we should, stop and reflect and see how much you have progressed from the start and it encourages us to keep moving forward instead of losing hope.
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Thanks Manu! Yes, that is a really great point of the journey to look back on. When we do we can say, “I’m not who I was.” 😊
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It can be difficult to see progress in the moment. But when you look behind you, you can see how far you’ve come. You are getting there. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other.
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Thank you so much, Bridget. ❤ I will do that with the Lord's help. ☺
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I so understand this. You express it so beautifully. Lack of progress and patience with oneself does feel like going round in circles quite often. But I think the secret (certainly for me) is to just wait until I do find the right direction. The direction is there, I just can’t see it at the moment. Bit like when I was climbing. I would scramble around on the rock trying to find the right route. The more frustrated I became, the less likely I would pick the right way. But with patience the route usually did appear. Maybe sometimes I had to accept going down a few feet before I started to climb again. Hope you had a wonderful weekend. 😁
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Hmmm… pondering pondering. There’s metaphor in them there mountain scrambles and decending before ascending. ☺
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Faith will bring patience. 👌👍
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Thank you. ☺ I think so too.
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Tina, I think we all harbor impatience and at times fear, but God understands, he knows we are vessels of clay. The important thing is to be open-hearted waiting (I didn’t say patiently) 😊for His direction. We are blessed with a forgiving and loving Lord. Your blog is like crackerjack, it has a surprise inside. This time it’s a lovely sloth.🌼❤
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Thank you, Jeanne! 😊 I like to add an element of mystery and fun.
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I actually have rather elasticy patience for others, but myself is something else again. I definitely feel some slothness inside when it comes to progress. And I fret that everyone else is as frustrated as I am with it, even if they won’t say it. And then, comes the over-apologizing. Sigh. I know much of this is all the residual yuck from my past crowding into the present. But, knowing that and shaking it off as such are two separate things. Still, this is where His grace is an amazing thing. He cheers us on for every inch forward, no matter how long it takes to get there. Thanks for your transparency here. It’s more helpful than you know.❤
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Yes, where would we be without God’s grace? So thankful for that! It is a tug-of-war sometimes. I appreciate your transparency as well, Marisa. It’s so important for both comfort and growth. ❤
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Patience and waiting can be tough. I just try and remember how far I’ve come and that helps. God is with you every step of the way. 🤗
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Thank you, Dawn. 😊 ❤ Yes, He sure is. I'm glad and thankful that He is with me every step of the way. That is a very comforting thought to keep close at heart and mind.
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You’re welcome Tina! ❤️🤗❤️
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Patience is something I’ve came a loooooong ways on…🙏🙏🙏❤️
Honestly I feel like blogging takes patience as we wait for a message from the Lord and then obediently type it out…it’s a process of patience but for me it’s such a sweet blessing because I’m able to see how God is working and has worked in my life…I can definitely see through your blog the beauty of patience and progress❤️
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Thank you, Ali. ☺ ❤
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Faith and focus…even when the doubt rolls in, I empathize. There’s a reason Mark 9:24 is one of my favorite verses…I pray it nearly daily. Thankfully, God knows all of this about us and loved us before we were born — and molds us more and more into His image.
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Thanks Kenn. ☺ Yes, I pray that one often as well. I believe, help me to believe even more! The hard part is that He answers. Sometimes the things that help us to believe aren’t easy and oh how easy sounds so good at times. Unfortunately they don’t produce what He wants to produce in us. But thankfully His mercies are new every morning and His grace is sufficient. I so need those reminders.
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