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2023-09-08

Good Morning Dear Ones,

Last week, I introduced the Greek word for patience, which is makrothumia [pronounced: mak-roth-oo-mee’-ah]. It is used in GA 5: 22, which includes part of the list of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  It is the same as forbearance or steadfastness or staying power.  This is a trait our God has.  Another Greek word that is useful to know is hupmone [pronounced: hoop-om-on’-ay].  It means endurance, as used in 1 THESS 1: 3, “We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” This suggests putting faith into practice, hard work fueled by love, and firmness of hope in Jesus Christ.  Hope in this example is a positive outlook toward what we expect in the end, the practice of endurance.  This is what James, Christ’s half-brother, meant when he wrote, in JAS 2: 17, “Faith without action is dead.”  Action out of love, fueled by endurance, and with firmness of hope are what our Lord Jesus wants us to practice.  These are the ramifications of patience.

Since I have used my own experiences as examples to ensure the privacy of other believers, I will tell you that their influence on me for the good has been profound. I’m an ordinary person who has been given some extraordinary opportunities by our loving God to put my endurance and patience into practice.  For several years, I worked for “In Search of Shalom” ISOS, a Toronto-based organization that brings seekers in contact with others like myself who have a working knowledge of the Scriptures.  I answered their questions and comments with the help of the Lord.  Their problems were many, and the Holy Spirit never gave me very many stock answers to give.  In the course of this work, I interfaced with some very interesting people, e.g. a Muslim pharmacist from Cairo, Egypt, a young man now living in Australia, who had escaped violence in his native El Salvador during uprisings there, and a young American lady who was having a hard time finding herself spiritually. These conversations were through real-time computer chats, although ISOS now uses additional formats.  I was deeply thrilled when at the end of almost one year of these chats, the young man in Australia told me he had decided to accept the Lord Jesus as his personal Savior.  It must be understood that not all these chats were as successful, but the Lord’s patient and enduring example is a great one to follow.

One Greek word useful to know, is the word for hope, elpidos [pronounced: el-pid’-zo]. It’s defined as mentioned above.  This is the same word used in 1 PET 3: 15, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect…” 

We can learn from JAS 5: 11, “As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered.  You have also heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about.  The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”  I can’t say that I’m perfect in the practice of patience, endurance, and hope—certainly not as good at these things as Job was in keeping faithful in the face of all the many ways that the devil beset him.  But the more one practices patience, the better he gets at it with the Lord’s help.  If we pray for patience before a situation where it will be needed, we will have a better chance to assure ourselves of the help only the Lord can give.  This is yet one more example of why the gifts of the Holy Spirit are so very foundational to the practice of our faith. 

PRAYER:  O Lord, how can we refuse to be grateful when Your Spirit has such wonderful gifts for us?  We acknowledge that our gifts received and practiced make us acceptable in Your sight.  We are told that we must give account of ourselves before the Lord Jesus at the Last Judgment.  These gifts, found in GA 5: 22-23 are designed to help us recognize what pleases You and make the necessary improvements that confessing our sins openly to You allows.  There are times when Your lessons are particularly painful to us emotionally and spiritually.  However, they are necessary to prepare us to give that account of ourselves, that will either open the door to eternal life with you or end in spiritual death—Gehenna-- if we choose to reject them.  We offer You our desire to learn and institute the gifts of the Holy Spirit in our lives, so that You know how much they matter to us.  We thank and praise You for making patience, endurance, and hope available to us in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

NEXT WEEK: The Holy Spirit directs me to write more details on Job’s examples of patience, endurance, and hope from the Scriptures next week.  I’m taking courses on various books of the NT at present; they have sparked more interest in the culture of first century Israel.  At the time the languages spoken by people like the Lord Jesus and historian Josephus Flavius were Greek, Hebrew, and a Galilean dialect of Aramaic.  Aramaic continues to be spoken by the Assyrians of Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey, and northwestern Iran.  Some of these people are in diaspora communities in Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and southern Russia.  My understanding is that Aramaic is spoken by about 6% of the world’s population nowadays.  With Greek, that’s another matter.  Most pastors going through seminary are required to take some instruction in Hebrew, the main language of the OT and Greek, the main language of the NT.  This is done so they can read the Scriptures in the original language.  The three Greek words above are by far just a few of the basic words in that language that it’s helpful for us to know.  We find several of them in our foundation passage for this series of devotions.  Love, agapao [af-ap-ah’-o]; joy, chara [khar-ah’]; peace, eirene [i-ray’-nay]; patience, makrothumia [mak-roth-oo-me’-ah]; kindness, chrestotes [khray-stot’-ace], goodness, agathopoieo [ag-ath-op-oy-eh’-o], faithfulness, pistis [pis’-tis]; gentleness, prautes [prah-oo’-tace], and self-control, egrkrateia [eng-krat’-i-ah].  While I’m not planning on language lessons every week, the Holy Spirit tells me these might bless you, as they have me.

Grace Be With You Always,

Lynn, JS 24: 15

© Lynn Johnson 2023. All Rights Reserved.

 

 

 

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