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Have You Felt the Long-suffering of God?

Society cries for justice.
We want things to be made right. (Which also implies there IS a right.)
We want justice—for everyone else. But us.

That’s where Job is in the middle of the book of Job.
He knows he isn’t suffering for something he has done, but everyone accuses him that he must have done something awful to warrant such suffering.
Job wants God to make things right; show him innocent, and judge the wicked.
But by Chapter 24 in the book God hasn’t.

God has done nothing.
He is silent.
He waits.
Why?
For Job’s friends to repent?
They see God as a puppet on a string—blessing because they do good and cursing because they do bad.
They don’t question their traditions or way of thinking. How can so many be wrong?
They know they are right.
But they aren’t.

At the end of Job's book, God rebukes them.
He tells them, “If Job doesn’t ask for your restoration, then I won’t forgive you.
That’s justice. That's making things right.
But after Job was harassed by them for over forty chapters.
Job requested God to show them mercy.
That's long-suffering.

Tired of seeing babies killed?
The elderly and sick lumped together to die of COVID in nursing homes?
Human life treated as worthless?

Tired of being accused of wrong, as you do right?
That’s God's long-suffering in action.

He could smite down that mom who killed her baby. And the doctor who performed the abortion.
He could send lightning on leaders who show no regard to lives He has made (He has done it before)—
But our God is l-o-n-g-s-u-f-f-e-r-i-n-g “not willing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9).

Know what happens as He waits?
His own suffer instead.
Why?

Darkness hates the light (John 3:20).
They don’t want their wrong exposed.
That’s God’s long-suffering in action—waiting even for the most wicked.

And the darkness surrounds God’s own.
Growing thicker until it suffocates them.
Like Job, we ask God, "Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing?" (Psalm 2:1).
Why?
His own continue to shine His light.
Their faith grows.
They become like Him.
And God is pleased.

Are you feeling the darkness?
God has not deserted you.
His long-suffering waited for you.
See through His eyes at the lost He wants saved.
Justice will come.
In His time.
In the meantime, He waits that not any should perish.

I write about what matters...to you---
women, wives and moms---
about your family, faith and future.
I write about what's hard, what helps and what heals.
I show you how it's done. And not done.
I hold your hand as you find what matters to the Savior.
And let go of those things that mattered to you, but not to Him.
I write about what matters...to Him.
               Sonya Contreras


Displaying 1 comment

I am so thankful that God is long-suffering, so much more than I am. I have needed his mercy so many times. I love the last couple chapters of Job when God finally speaks and I get chills thinking of His greatness. How rich we are to be His children, He have His blessings. So appreciate your articles.

This particular article was written 3 days before Steve died, which is why I never saw it. God has truly brought joy out of sorrow.

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Author of Biblical fiction, married to my best friend, and challenged by eight sons’ growing pains as I write about what matters.