Divine Patience

My dear sister,

My husband and I have spent over a year and thousands of
dollars toward adopting a child from Russia. Last week we found out
that Putin’s pen has sadistically slammed the doors to all Russian
orphanages for Americans. Only those with a court date before
January 1 can finish the process to receive their wanted child. My
heart breaks for the families that have seen and held their
expected child yet will never bring them home. My heart also fills
with anger toward the pride and selfishness of a leader that cares
more about proving a political point than providing placement for
his own country’s precious children. How can the Lord let this happen?

Patience is an attribute of God that we sometimes overlook.
Psalm 145:8 says, “the Lord is compassionate and slow to anger”.
What does that mean? I read in Arthur Pink’s Attributes
of God, that the patience of God is the power of control
that God puts on himself so he can bear with the wicked in waiting
to give them their just punishment. Wow! How quickly do we demand
justice and punishment of wrong done to others or us? I would
honestly not grieve the loss of Putin if he was struck down
tonight. I want our State Department to give harsh sanction to
Russia so they can feel a bit of the pain that my heart bleeds
after this. But if I think about it, all sin is ultimately against
God. That means that all the sin and evil in the world deserves His
wrath…now! Yet he continues to exercise his patience by withholding
this righteous wrath. More than that…he also gives us mercy and
grace while he is giving us this divine patience! I can’t imagine
doing that!

To hold back righteous justice AND simultaneously
giving the same convict grace and mercy. Yet this is what our Lord
does! He did not punish Putin when he signed that law. He does not
necessarily kill the men who persecute Christians when they land
the final blow. He is very aware of all the injustices in this
world, from being persecuted at work for your faith to children
being left to die because they are not the correct gender. Yet He
is patient with His wrath. But trust sweet sister that vengeance is
the Lord’s. Justice will be given in the next life if not this one.
Trust the Lord with the injustices in your life. He sees them and
knows them. He desires all men to come to repentance which is why
he exercises his patience in giving all mankind a chance to hear
the gospel. I’m convicted to pray for Putin…that his eyes will be
opened to the gospel and his life will be changed. May the Lord’s
patience allow Putin to find grace and give it to his own people.
God has been so patient with you, dear sister. Who has treated you
unjustly in your own life that you can exercise this same patience,
yes even to pray that they will repent and see the glory of Christ
for the forgiveness of their sins from our patient God?

Your Sister,
Colleen