Dear Amy,

Is there any more to patience than waiting well?

patience /ˈpeɪʃ(ə)ns/ ▸ noun [mass noun] the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious

― Oxford Dictionary of English

There most certainly is! What of patience in affliction then?

Job is an interesting book. Mostly we find mysteries are revealed at the end of a story, but with Job that is not so. There is no explanation when the Lord finally appears. We could summarise Job 38-42 like this: “I am the LORD Most High, Creator of Heaven and Earth. Who are you?”

The explanation rather is where the story begins.

Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”

“Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

― Job 1:8-11

The apostle Peter takes this principle and expands upon it.

For a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith … may be proved genuine

― 1 Peter 1:6-7

If we truly grasp this, it empowers us to respond with patience in affliction. How else can I show the Lord that my love for him is real and not merely cupboard love, that my trust is absolute, and my faith genuine? I rejoice when I find that I can do these things! And I am mindful that this is a heart-work of the Holy Spirit. Praise the Lord!

The fruit of the Spirit is … patience

― Galatians 5:22

Be patient in affliction, Amy, and show the Lord that your faith is genuine! 🙏