Tag: Patience

Not All the Answers

At the beginning of Acts, Jesus’ disciples ask Him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). In their minds, this was the right question. After all, they had walked with Jesus through His ministry, His death, and His resurrection, and the natural next step seemed to be the re-establishment of God’s kingdom. But Jesus, instead of providing a direct answer, redirects their focus. “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority,” He replies, “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses…” (Acts 1:7-8).

The disciples’ question highlights our common desire for clarity and control. Like them, we often want answers about God’s timeline or specifics of His plan. But Jesus reminds us that some things simply aren’t for us to know. Instead of giving a detailed roadmap, He offers us something better: the Holy Spirit’s guidance and empowerment.

In our own lives, the Holy Spirit continues to guide us through uncertainties. God knows that we, like the disciples, will not always have all the answers, and He encourages us to lean into His presence rather than our understanding. The Spirit’s role is not just to give us information but to transform us into people of faith and trust. As we surrender our need for control, we can grow in faith that God, who holds all knowledge and power, is directing our path.

God asks us to trust Him even when we don’t have all the answers. As Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Our focus is not meant to be on securing every answer, but on becoming more responsive to the Spirit, following Him as He leads us forward with wisdom, patience, and courage.

In Defense of Peter

The account of Peter in Gethsemane is a stirring reminder of how human we are, even when we deeply desire to follow Jesus. Peter, who had walked with Christ, witnessed miracles, and even claimed he would follow Him to the death, shows us that the spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41). We might critique Peter for his actions that night—falling asleep, impulsively wielding a sword, and then ultimately denying Jesus—but perhaps, his story is also ours. In Peter, we find relatable lessons that urge us toward deeper discipline, patience, and boldness in our faith.

At Gethsemane, Jesus invited Peter, James, and John to keep watch with Him during His agonizing prayer. But Peter’s spirit gave way to fatigue, and three times he fell asleep as Jesus wrestled with the reality of the cross. In these moments, we see a call to better discipline. Just as Peter needed discipline to stay awake and pray, we, too, are called to “watch and pray” that we do not fall into temptation. Distractions and weariness can easily pull us away from prayer and obedience, but discipline helps us continually seek God’s strength, especially in trying times.

Next, we see Peter’s struggle with patience. When the soldiers arrived to arrest Jesus, Peter acted instinctively, drawing his sword to protect his Lord. He acted out of zeal, but it wasn’t what Jesus had asked of him. Jesus had already made it clear that He must go to the cross, yet Peter acted on impulse, unwilling to wait for the Lord’s guidance. Here, we learn the importance of waiting on God, resisting the urge to take matters into our own hands. Jesus often leads us through unexpected paths, and patience allows us to stay in step with His timing, trusting that He has a purpose beyond what we can see.

Finally, after Jesus was arrested, Peter’s courage seemed to fade. Standing by the fire, surrounded by strangers, Peter denied knowing Jesus—not once, but three times. His boldness faltered when it was most needed. It is easy to judge Peter’s fear, but it’s also a moment to recognize our own hesitations to fully identify with Jesus. True boldness means openly claiming our faith, even when it feels risky. We may face fear, awkwardness, or discomfort, but Jesus is our strength. Through Him, we find the courage to stand firm, even when the stakes are high.

Peter’s journey in Gethsemane reminds us that Jesus isn’t looking for flawless followers—He seeks willing hearts. Yes, we may stumble as Peter did, but God’s grace meets us in our weakness. As we grow in discipline, patience, and boldness, we find that Jesus is always there, shaping us into people who are prepared to follow Him, even when it’s hard. Let’s remember that Jesus restored Peter after his denials and used him to build the Church. In the same way, He is patient with us, guiding us into lives that glorify Him, no matter how many times we fall.  

Never Stop Never Stopping

The title of today’s devotional is borrowed from the comedy film Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping by Andy Samberg—a film about an artist who refuses to quit despite repeated failures. And while it’s an over-the-top satire, that relentless spirit of pressing forward mirrors something crucial about the life of faith. For believers, the call to stay the course in God’s work isn’t a joke, it’s a mandate.

In Luke 13, Jesus tells the parable of the fig tree, where the gardener pleads for more time to tend the tree before cutting it down, asking for one last effort to see if it will bear fruit. It’s a picture of divine patience and hope for redemption, not giving up too soon on what still has potential.

This is the kind of perseverance Jesus calls us to. When He commissions us to work for His kingdom, to “harvest” by making disciples, there’s an urgency to the task. But there’s also an enduring patience, a refusal to give up. Seeds are planted, sometimes taking seasons or years to show signs of life. The harvest may seem delayed or even doubtful at times. But our task is not to predict the yield; it’s to faithfully tend the soil, plant the seeds, and trust God to bring the increase.

Jesus’ teaching reminds us that it’s not about the speed of results, but about the faithfulness of our labor. It’s easy to grow weary and think, “Nothing is happening here—time to move on.” But God doesn’t waste the seeds He plants, nor does He call us to walk away from them prematurely. Our role is to persist, to work while it’s still light out, to continue planting, praying, and sharing. As long as there’s time, there’s potential.

Of course, this doesn’t mean we’ll see every seed bear fruit in our lifetime. Sometimes the harvest is for someone else to reap. Other times, the waiting itself is the point—teaching us trust and perseverance. In the end, the harvest is up to God. Our job is to “never stop never stopping,” faithfully laboring in the fields of His Kingdom.

There’s no room for giving up when eternity is at stake. The best way to ensure more seeds can be planted and nurtured is by making room in the harvest. We must work with urgency but also with patient faith. In the end, it’s God’s field, God’s seed, and God’s harvest.

As we work, we’re reminded: there’s only so much time before night falls, but as long as it’s day, we must stay the course. We may not see the results we hoped for right away, but rest assured—the seeds of the Kingdom are never wasted. So never stop. And never stop never stopping.

Jealous of Evil?

Sometimes — as I have discussed before — we ask the question, why do good things happen to bad people? Here David addresses that. I can’t help but wonder if this was written shortly after David was being persecuted by Saul, who remained king of Israel while David hid in caves and was exiled from Israel. And so possibly David found himself struggling with jealousy over the success and abundance being experienced by Saul during that leave time for himself. But eventually, as he continued to do what was right, God delivered the kingdom into his hands as Saul fell to the Philistines.

So it is for us. We mustn’t be jealous of those who don’t fear the Lord; those who are doomed to an eternity separated from Him and, therefore, from every good and perfect thing. One day they will die and stand in judgement before the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. As for us? David encourages to be patient. And in so doing demonstrate the trust we claim to have in Him.