God's Patience
Then Isaiah said, Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also?
Isaiah 7:13 (NIV)
Isaiah confronts Ahaz: is it not enough trying men's patience? Will you try my God's patience also? Faith denouncing patience abuse. Ahaz masked unbelief as piety: I will not ask signs. False modesty irritates more than open rebellion. God offers signs; refusing abuses. Divine patience holds dated limits.
Trying men's patience: Ahaz wearied counselors, people, prophets. Faith watches patterns: whoever exhausts men will exhaust God. Relationships reveal theology. Impatience with neighbors betrays impatience with God. Treat envoys well and Senders smile. Tire men, alert heaven.
Will you try my God's patience?: Isaiah takes the Lord's cause. Faith defends divine honor. My God — covenant possessive. Prophets feel holy jealousies. Abusing God's patience plays with eternal fire. Ahaz played; Judah burned. Abused patience becomes judgment; honored patience, deliverance.
Today, examine your abuses: refused signs, ignored counsels, wasted mercies. Stop abusing starting using patience well: repent today. Faith thanks longsuffering instead of exploiting it. Today's patience is opportunity; tomorrow's may be sentence.
And honor patience: honored longsufferings become deliverances. Honor patience today. Honored longsufferings save. Stop abusing. Repent soon. Use well. Use well and thank deeply. Redeem time. Seek mercy. Humble. Kneel. Return. Abide.