Banquet With The King: Be Patient

Prayer – Lord, we wait patiently for Your return…and You are patient with us so that no one who would ultimately accept You, Jesus, as their Savior, will perish. For now…we’ll take courage and continue to put our trust in You especially as we see the day approaching. –In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. Matthew 24:33

Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord's return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near. Don't grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door! James 5:7-9

Meditate. Consider what it means to be patient.

What is your level of patience?

Very Patient…Patient with just a few people…Mediocre Patience…Little Patience…Not Patient.

Don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can't you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? Romans 2:4

Patience is one of the qualities in the Fruit of the Spirit as listed in Galatians 5:22-23.

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22-23 (Underlined for emphasis.)

Patience can be considered as persevere, endure, remain or abide.

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, "God is tempting me." God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. So don't be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. James 1:12-17

God helps or blesses those who believe in Him and hang in there; those who don’t give up when things get difficult. Be patient and persevere. James tells us that God Himself isn’t tempted and doesn’t temp others. He also explains that temptation is something that comes from within us. Is this a new idea to you? James continues…don’t be misled. When sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. Don’t be led into temptation—just as Jesus taught His disciples in what we know as the Lord’s Prayer.

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13 NKJV

God will provide that way out. Will you patiently listen to Him…and choose to follow His lead? Lead us not into temptation. There is a way of escape. What is your choice of action today?

Verse of Salvation ~ And remember, our Lord's patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him…. 2 Peter 3:15

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

Sour dough bread takes some patience if you are going to start your “starter” yourself. Another option is getting some sour dough starter from a friend—but you will still have to keep on feeding and then using it. Sour dough is supposed to be more glycemic friendly, more digestible, and thus better for you. It can be used in a variety of recipes from bread or bagels to desserts. Google recipes if you just can’t seem to find any in your usual recipe books. Here’s a starter that I started.

Sour Dough Starter

1 cup whole wheat flour

½ cup water – room temperature

Mix well, loosely cover. Let sit at room temp for one day.

Day 2 – Discard ½ of mixture. Add 1 cup all purpose unbleached flour and ½ cup water.

Days 3 through 5 – Feed twice daily. Stir starter. Discard all but ½ cup of mixture. Add 1 cup flour and ½ cup water. Let rest 12 hrs. You may use the “discard” in a sour dough discard recipe, since it does seem wasteful to really just throw away that portion.

It is ready to use when it is bubbly and yeasty. Measure out the portion you need for your recipe, keeping ½ cup of the starter to keep your “starter” supply going. It may be stored in the refrigerator, feeding and using it at least once a week.

For more information on Sour Dough Starters, Google that. A site that is useful is kingarthurbaking.com

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.

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Banquet With The King

Friday, December 6, 2024

Be Patient

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