Delores Liesner
Activating Faith in everyday life
Discoveries of Faith – Long suffering with Joy
John 11:35
Jesus wept.
This meant something different to me than it did to my kids as tweens – they joked about memorizing it because it was the shortest verse in the Bible J
Y’all probably know that this happened just before Jesus called Lazarus out from the grave. Today, of course, a few years (ha ha) later, I have new perspective about the whole Lazarus story and how it relates to me. The idea of living a new life related to me back then too but I didn’t know it…
I just knew that Jesus wept.
That Jesus felt and cared and understood the way I felt too.
That was enough.
to know He understood and would walk me through it.
Below my childish printing you will see the cursive written a few years later – of
Colossians 1: 10-13 – to walk worthily of the Lord [a]unto all pleasing, bearing fruit in every good work, and increasing [b]in the knowledge of God; 11 [c]strengthened [d]with all power, according to the might of his glory, unto all [e]patience and longsuffering with joy;12 giving thanks unto the Father, who made [f]us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; 13 who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love
By this time I had met a young woman named Loreen. I felt verse 10 was illustrated in Loreen’s life – she walked worthy of the Lord. I sneaked out a couple of times with her to visit and encourage senior citizens, and heard her share scripture and pray with them.
I was forbidden from any more get-togethers with her, and these verses became a prayer for myself and for others who had experienced similar enslavement from powers of darkness.
Three things I note particularly:
- – Col. 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
These were prayers I could pray for myself and others
- 1:11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
This was a challenge to pray for – the goals of
Patience and Longsuffering
With joyfulness
The Lord knows I have been a thousand times better at pouting and crying than at being patient and longsuffering WITH JOY
Col. 1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
- – God (though his gift of Jesus) has made me (past tense)
meet (fit and equipped) to be a partaker
Col. 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
- – Also past tense – HAS delivered us and HAS translated us
it’s awesome to think there is nothing I have to do – or can do – to finish the job. It’s already been done.
Like my artist friend Marie once explained, How can we think to add anything to a perfect work?
So bringing that past of what God did through the shed blood of Christ on the cross into the present
I learn
Jesus understands and has compassion toward my pain.
He gave all to equip and strengthen me so that I might grow in knowledge of him, walking worthy, and being fruitful.
Because of what God has already done and set in place, I have the opportunity to be enabled
to have patience
and to get through longsuffering trials
with JOYFULNESS
How about you? Have you found that JOY has come?
Be the Miracle! – with journaling pages
Delores Liesner: Author
American Christian Fiction Writers Association
Delores Liesner 