If you'll open your Bibles with
me to James chapter 5, I have a subject about which I can do
very little preaching, because it's a subject about
which I know so very little, about which I have experienced
so very little. My subject is patience. The title
of the message is Be Patient. Be Patient. Our text will be
James 5, verses 7 through 12. More than 30 times in the New
Testament, we who are born of God, we who believe God, sinners
saved by God's free grace, washed in the blood of Christ, made
the righteousness of God in God's dear Son. More than 30 times
we're admonished and exhorted to be patient. Those admonitions
and exhortations are given repeatedly throughout the book because we
constantly need the exhortation and the instruction. Our Savior's
word to us in this book is In your patience, possess ye your
souls. The book of James begins by telling
us in chapter one that the trying of faith worketh patience. Then
in the next verse, he urges us to let patience have her perfect
work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. When we come to chapter five,
James gives us by divine inspiration specific instructions about patience. How we are to be patient. Patient in God's providence.
Patient in the experiences of life day by day. Patient in difficulty. Teaching us to wait on the Lord. To wait on the Lord. In the opening
verses of James 5, Pastor James, writing to the Jews of the dispersion,
specifically addresses those among his brethren who were false
professors, religious folks who didn't know God, rich, powerful,
wealthy, influential, but they didn't know God, and they used
their wealth their position and their power to abuse men and
women who walked with God. That has always been common among
men. It is now and it shall be tomorrow. Look at James chapter 5 verse
1. These lost religionists, oppressors, abusers, persecutors of God's
saints are condemned by God the Holy Ghost in the most scathing
terms. Go to now, ye rich men. Weep and howl for your miseries
that shall come upon you. Weep and howl, because you're
going to hell. Your riches are corrupted. Your garments are moth-eaten.
Your gold and silver is cankered, and the rest of them shall be
a witness against you and shall eat your flesh, as it were, by
fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold the hire of the laborers
who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by
fraud, crieth. The cries of them which have
reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of hosts, the Lord
of Sabbath. Ye have lived in pleasure on
the earth and been wanton. Ye have nourished your hearts
as in the day of slaughter. ye have condemned and killed
the just, and he doth not resist you. You've abused my people,
you've resisted my people, you've condemned my people, sinners
made just by my grace, and they have done nothing against you.
You've used your wealth and your power, your greed, only for your
own benefit, and you do all this professing faith in me, professing
to be men who love these whom you persecute. professing to
be one of those whom you abuse. And then beginning in verse 7,
James addresses God's saints, those brethren in Christ, those
just ones scattered through all the earth, who are in every age
oppressed, persecuted, slandered, maligned, and abused by lost
religionists, abused by those who have the power and the means
to abuse them, do them evil. And James tells us how to handle
them. How do you handle them? How do
you handle them? Now you who know God, all of
you have and you will experience just the things James is talking
about. How do you handle them? How do you deal with them? God
gives us very wise counsel to afflicted, oppressed, despised,
and persecuted people. Look at what it says in James
chapter 5 verse 7. Be patient. That's the first
word. Be patient. While we live in
this world, as long as we live in this world, there will be,
there must be dark trying times through which we must pass. We
must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
And a great measure of that darkness, a great measure of that trial,
a great measure of that tribulation comes from false brethren. The
Apostle Paul deals with this in 2 Corinthians. He deals with
it in 1 Corinthians. He deals with it in Galatians.
He deals with it in Colossians. He constantly had to deal with
it because he constantly experienced it. How do you deal with these
men? Don't. Don't. Don't, just be patient. Just be patient. Wait on the
Lord. Wait on the Lord. I have compelled
myself many times over the years to handle situations I just thought
I had to handle. And I had been pressured by others
to, you gotta do something. You gotta handle this. And I'll
tell you what I've done, Lindsay. Every time I've ever tried to
handle anything, I wish I'd left it alone. Every single time. Every single time. I wish I'd
just left it alone. I've messed up every time. Every
time I've waited for God to take care of it, I've never regretted
it. Be patient. Be patient. James
teaches us here to trust our God. Even when we can't see or
understand what he's doing. To submit to him when we can't
trace his hand and what he's doing. To wait for him when we
walk through dark, dark times, whatever they are. Look at the
next word. Be patient therefore. The word
therefore specifically refers us back to what he's just been
talking about, about these oppressors. These cruel men who use their
power, their wealth, and their position to oppress, doing so
in the name of Christ, in the name of Christianity. Be patient
in the midst of affliction, yes. Our light afflictions, which
are but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and
eternal weight of glory. Be patient in the midst of temptation,
yes. Be patient in the midst of darkness,
yes. Be patient in the midst of confusing
providence, yes. Be patient in all adversities. But James is specifically referring
to these ungodly men he's described in verses 1 through 6. He says,
be patient with wicked men and women. Wicked men and women who,
while professing faith in Christ, professing to worship God, professing
to be your brothers and sisters, oppress and abuse and misuse
God's people. Be patient with them. Be patient
with them. Read on. Verse 7. Be patient, therefore,
brethren. Here he draws a distinction,
a clear mark of distinction between those he's been speaking about
in verses 1 through 6 and those he's addressing now. He's now
talking to brethren, God's children, and is telling us that if we're
God's children, all is well. We should therefore be patient,
even in the midst of such men and women who would destroy us
if they could. If we're God's children, why
shouldn't we be patient, even before such adversaries? patient before our adversary
the devil, and patient before adversaries who would work for
the devil. You and I, who are gods, are
loved and chosen of God, redeemed by the precious blood of Christ,
justified, made righteous in God's dear Son, forgiven of all
sin, accepted in the beloved, regenerated, sanctified, held
in the hand of God, called by His grace and kept by His grace. He promises us that all things
He works together for our good to them that love God, to them
who are the called according to His purpose. If I am God's
child, and I am, impatience is excuseless. And when I say that, Mark Henson,
I could not say it more severely and more plainly to anyone than
I say it to myself. My impatience is without excuse. It can never be justified. It
is never right, but always evil and always wrong. I'm God's. Be patient, therefore, brethren,
no matter what happens in God's providence, no matter what any
man does to you, no matter what anyone says about you, be patient,
unruffled, unaffected, be patient. And Steele put it this way, and
can my heart aspire so high to say, my father, God. Lord, at thy feet I fain would
lie and learn to kiss the rod. I would submit to all thy will,
for thou art good and wise. Let each rebellious thought be
still, nor one faint murmur rise. Look at the next line. Be patient,
therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Turn back
to the book of 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians chapter 4. Be patient unto the coming of
the Lord. Now, that may refer to several
things. I think indeed it does refer
to several things. Be patient until the Lord comes
to deliver you from your present distress. He will deliver you
from your present distress, whatever it is. Be patient until he comes
to deliver you. You can't deliver yourself. Be
patient until he comes to deliver you. Be patient until the Lord
comes and takes you out of this world by death. That's a blessing
too. By that means the Lord graciously
delivers us from the evil that is to come. The righteous perish
and people don't have any idea what's happened. Not knowing
that the Lord preserves him, keeps him from the evil that
is to come. Be patient. Wait until Christ
comes again in his glorious second advent. Because when he does,
when he does, he will set everything in his true light. Look at your
second Corinthians, our first Corinthians chapter four. Let a man so account of us as
the ministers of Christ, the servants of Christ, stewards
of the mysteries of God, servants of Christ into whose hands God
has entrusted all the riches of his house. Moreover, it is
required of stewards that a man be found faithful. Oh, God, make me faithful. Make
me faithful. But with me, it is a very small
thing that I should be judged of you or a man's judgment. I can't tell you how often these past 45 years and a little
longer I've quoted those words and those words alone in response
to letters and quips and comments and stuff men have said. What's that? With me, it's a
very small thing that I should be judged of you or of man's
judgment. What men say doesn't really matter. What men say doesn't really matter. I make it my business never to
respond. Never to answer an accusation.
Never to respond to evil deeds and evil words. Never to speak
evil of those who speak the evil. Just leave them alone. Just leave
them alone. Just leave them alone. I try
to do so in my house, in the house of God, with friends, with
family, with everyone. Just leave them alone. Leave
them alone. Folks get upset and I just I
don't talk about it. You probably won't even hear
me mention their name. Just don't talk about it. Leave them alone.
Leave them alone. How can you do that? How can
you do that? I don't even judge my own self. I don't judge what
God's doing with me. I don't try to I don't try to
figure out what God's doing day by day in my life for I know
nothing of myself. Yet am I not hereby justified,
but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Look at verse 5. Therefore
judge nothing before the time until the Lord come, who both
will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will
make manifest the counsels of the hearts. And then shall every
man have his praise of God. I'm prepared to wait. I'm prepared to wait. I'm prepared
to wait until God shows everything in its true light. I'm prepared
to wait. Folks, you've done this, you've
done that, you've compared themselves. And the slanders of men, whether
it's a preacher or anybody else, the slanders against men are
always done to make you look better. That's the only reason
for it. That's the only reason for it.
The accusations, false accusations, are only done to lift yourself
up. And we'll just wait and see who's
right. I'm prepared to wait. I'm prepared
to wait. You be prepared to wait. You
don't have to defend yourself. You don't have to take up for
yourself. You don't have to protect yourself. If you're God's, God
will. If you're God's, God will. Protect
one another, care for one another, but be patient, be patient. Next,
James tells us to be patient in all things like wise farmers. In fact, like any farmer who
stays a farmer very long. Behold, the husbandman waiteth
for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience
for it until he receive the early and latter rain. the best, the
wisest, the only way we can rightly understand what God is doing
with us, what God is doing for us, what God is doing in our
lives, is to faithfully serve God in the place where He put
us, doing what He's put in our hands to do, and wait. Just wait. Don't try to make things happen,
just wait. Just wait. Take the seed and plant it in
the ground. Wait for it to come up. Wait
for it to come up. If you get a little anxious,
you're going to mess things up. If you get in too big a hurry,
you'll mess things up. What are you doing? I'm working
the ground. God put in my hands. Doing what
God told me to do. Waiting. Waiting for God to cause
that corn to burst out of the ground and to bud forth in the
ear and to be a full ripe ear of corn. Just waiting. Just waiting. Doing what God requires me to
do. The farmer's work is unending. You ask any farmer. Billy's sitting
back there and I'll not embarrass him too much. But I never saw
anybody want to farm as bad as Billy McCormick wanted to farm
since he was a little boy. Take another job so he can buy
a farm so he can farm it. And come in from the job and
work from the time he comes in to go and get a little something
to eat, go back out and work until he's got a little bit.
And every farmer is the like. The only way you can make it
is endless work, endless labor. Oh, God teach me. to serve you
in the place you put me, doing what you put in my hands to do
endlessly, endlessly. Farmer never goes home one night
and says, well, I've got everything done today. Have you ever gotten
it all done? I'll ask you, have you ever gotten
it all done? Never gets up in the morning and says, I've got
nothing to do today. Never. He's always got work before him. His work requires sacrifice. He goes to the store and buys
seed and fertilizer, spends good money on it, and puts it in the
ground. Throw it in the ground. Just
throw it in the ground. Man, that looks dumb, doesn't
it? No, no, he has a reason. The farmer's work requires patience. He sows his seed in the spring
and waits till the harvest And then, oh, what fruit, what bounty, what
reward for his labors. So it is with us. Wait on the
Lord. Be of good courage, and he shall
strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord. Our Savior said to Peter, what
I do, thou knowest not now. but thou shalt know hereafter.
All right, look back at our text, next line. Be ye also patient, establish
your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. How good, how kind, how gracious
our God is to us. As far as the east is from the
west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like
as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that
fear him. For he knoweth our frame, he
remembereth that we are dust. But we're all prone to doubts
and fears and questions. Sadly, we're all prone to question
God, to question his love, to question his wisdom, to question
his providence, to question his devotion to us and his devotion
to our good. Say, Brother Don, I'd never do
that. Oh, you're not being honest with yourself. We do it all the time. Every
unbelieving thought, every anxious fear, every disquietness of heart,
betrays the fact that we question God. So we should seek to establish
our hearts, seeking grace and power, seeking the operation
of God in us, to have our hearts established in grace by faith
in Him. And that's done by means. It's
done by the reading of the Word, by prayer, by gospel preaching,
by worship, by fellowship with one another. Establish your hearts. Establish your hearts. You can't
establish your hearts. And James speaks of this as our
responsibility. That means, David Peterson, it's
your responsibility to establish your heart in patience. That's
your responsibility. Well, he can't do that. I know
it, but it's still his responsibility. but God uses means by which to
do it. You cannot find your heart established
in the grace of God apart from the reading of this book, apart
from your own prayer, apart from hearing the Word preached, apart
from the fellowship of God's saints, apart from the mutual
influence we have on one another in the house of God in worship. It's not going to happen. It's
not going to happen. It's explained there. I can't very well explain
it. I can show it to you in this
book. I can show it to you in this book. It's just not going
to happen. I never cease to be amazed at men and women who will deprive themselves of the blessed
privileges God's given us in this place. to worship him, hear
his word, to gather with his saints, to be under the influence
of other believers, to be under the influence of faith, under
the influence of faith, faith working in your life, faith working
in your life, grace working in you, grace performing its work
in you. But folks, I just, no, no, or
they get upset. I was just talking to a friend
just recently. I've known the family for a long,
long time. It's been the man's history.
It's been his history for as long as I've known him. He got
upset, left the church, left the preacher, and upset over
nothing. I mean nothing. I don't mean
I'm guessing. Lindsay, I'm talking about as
insignificant as whether you wear your glasses or don't wear
them. Nothing. Just nothing. And what he did
is he took his wife and his daughter and his son-in-law and his grandchildren
out from under the influence of the faithful preaching of
the gospel and says, I'm right to do it. That's insane. That's insane. Establish your heart. Don't neglect
what your soul needs. Don't neglect that by which your
heart is established in the faith. And when the operation of God
is done. No oppression and trouble and
adversity and affliction and darkness and sorrow come crushing
upon your soul like a tidal wave. Be patient for the coming of
the Lord draweth nigh. None of these things are going
to matter for a second in eternity. None of them. None of them. None of these things are going
to matter for a second in eternity. When you start to close your
eyes in death, all the stuff that troubles you now won't matter
one iota. Not a bit. Not a bit. Why should
it bother us now? Turn over to Revelation 21. Revelation
21. When Christ comes and carries
us home to glory, we shall enter into the joys of our Lord and
be forever free from sin and all the sorrow and suffering
it causes. I saw a new heaven and a new
earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away,
and there was no more sea. And I, John, saw the holy city,
new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as
a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out
of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men,
and he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his people,
and God shall be with them, and be their God, and God shall wipe
away all tears from their eyes. And there shall be no more death,
neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain,
for the former things are passed away. And he that sat on the
throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto
me, Write, for these words are true and faithful. Now, look
at verse 9. James tells us that patience,
patience, patience means we're not to begrudge others. Grudge
not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned, behold,
the judge standeth at the door." Don't envy anybody. Don't envy anybody for anything. A man can receive nothing except
to be given him from heaven. Don't set yourself up as a judge
of other men. Don't even try to judge the affairs
of your own life. We're utterly incapable. Be patient. He who alone is just and righteous
and true, the judge standeth at the door. I just had some
correspondence today and I've been asked several times by this
man. I've known him for a while. Do
you think so-and-so is saved? Do you think so-and-so knows
God? Do you think this person is saved? And I've got the place. I answer like this. Why do you want to know? Why would you ask that question?
Why on earth would Bobby Estes ask me, do you think Mark Daniel
is really a believer? Why would you ask that? There
ain't but one reason. Pride. Arrogant, stupid pride. No other reason. No other reason.
We don't have the ability to determine who knows God and who
doesn't. Now, I don't hesitate to tell you anybody who denies
the gospel of God's grace does not know God. But a man who professes
faith in Christ, I cannot determine whether he knows God or not.
no matter what I see in him." He said, well, a believer wouldn't
do that. Wouldn't do what? How about you
tell him that? Well, a believer, he couldn't
possibly believe that. What? He couldn't believe what? I believe there's a fellow by
the name of Solomon, spoken of in this book, and that man Solomon
wrote what in my opinion is the most spiritual needful, enlightening
work in all the Old Testament, the Song of Solomon. There's
not a more profound spiritual word given in Old Testament Scripture
than the Song of Solomon. And that man Solomon worshipped idols with his wives
who didn't know God. Is that fact or fiction? Is that
fact or fiction? Well, he couldn't be safe. Ask
God about that. Ask God about that. Our Lord's
disciples once were rowing in a storm across the sea, and the
Lord Jesus came walking across the water. And boy, those brilliant
disciples, those sharp fellas, they thought they saw a ghost.
They were as scared as a six-year-old boy in a cemetery who saw somebody
pop up in a white sheet. They were terrified. They thought
they saw a ghost. These are the men who wrote this
book. They can't be saved. What on earth are you talking
about? Don't try to judge God's servants. Don't try to judge
God's people. Just wait. God makes everything
Obvious in the last day, the judge standeth at the door, and
don't grudge anybody anything." Oh man, look how God has blessed
him. His children, all of them are
good kids. All of them are just fine, fine
children. Their grandchildren, all of them
are just, everybody knows their grandchildren. They're just fine,
fine children. Never in any trouble at all.
Rich. Look how God's blessed him. You
know he's had good health all his life? Got money in the bank,
got acres and acres and acres of houses everywhere. Oh, look
how God's blessed him. Hang on. That's how you fatten a calf
for the slaughter. God sent them in slippery places,
and their feet shall slide in dew season. Then in verse 10,
James tells us to be patient, following the examples of the
prophets of old. Take my brethren, the prophets,
who have spoken in the name of the Lord for an example of suffering,
affliction, and impatience. Those faithful men of old, so
greatly used of God, highly favored of God, men to
whom God revealed the mysteries of His will, Men who spoke for
God. But men constantly in trouble. Constantly oppressed. Constantly
spoken evil of. Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah. Jeremiah came, that weeping prophet. Oh, how he pleaded with Israel. How he pleaded with Judah. But
they wouldn't hear him and counted him their enemy. They, with their
afflictions and trials, were patient, enduring to the end,
giving us an example to follow. And then in verse 11, James tells
us to be patient like Job. Behold, we count them happy.
We count them blessed of God who endure. You have heard of
the patience of Job? the endurance, the faithful endurance
of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord. Lord willing, I'll
come back to this next week. How Job was afflicted. Job was a perfect man. God said so. He feared God and
eschewed evil. There wasn't another one like
him in all the East. This man was chosen of God, redeemed by
God, called by God, sanctified by God, accepted by God, and
God said to Satan, have you considered my servant Job? And at God's
initiation, Satan goes to work on Job, because God so purposed
it. And Job was afflicted in his
family. He lost every one of his children. in one day, in one day. He lost all his cattle, all his
herds, all his flocks in one day, one day. And you think you've had trouble.
He lost his health, covered with boils, lost all of his property,
Lost all of his influence. This man, this man who at one
time was the chief man in the town. I mean everybody, everybody
knew who Job was. Let's go ask Mr. Job what he
thinks. Let's go ask Mr. Job what he thinks we ought to
do. Let's go ask Mr. Job about this. Mr. Job knows
he was the wealthy, powerful, influential man in town. And
all of a sudden everybody thought Job stank. Everybody. His wife at last said to him,
why don't you cuss God and die? And Job sat down in sackcloth
and ashes and worshipped God. And then he had three friends
to come along. You've had friends like Job's
friends. Wonderful friends they are. I always was suspicious of you. I always had a question mark
back here. Now, I always thought something
was wrong. What is it, Job? What have you done? You know
God wouldn't do this to you if you didn't deserve it. You've
got to be a wicked man. You've got to be a base, perverse
man. And his friends went on and on
and on and on. And you know what they did? You
know what they did? They brought out the very worst
in Job. Job started to defend himself. Job started to talk
about his righteousness. And I can't blame him too much.
There's not anything wrong with a man being accused of stealing.
He said, no, I didn't steal. And Job said, I'll hold on to
my righteousness. And then there was a young man
who spoke for God and reproved Job's friends, and reproved Job,
and Job had a horrible, horrible struggle like he hadn't had with
the loss of his children, and the loss of his property, and
the weakness of his wife, and the loss of his health, and the
accusations of his friends. Job said once, I have heard of
you with the hearing of the ear. But now mine eye seeth thee. And oh my God, now I see myself. And I abhor myself. I abhor what I know I am. What trials. What trials. Woes
of physical bodily pain. woes of finance and property,
woes of family, woes of false friends, woes of inward sin. But in the end, Job endured all,
believing and seeing Him who is invisible, in patience trusting
God, and you've seen the end of the Lord. When God got done
with Job, All his blessings were doubled. All of them. Everything God took
away, God doubled. So it has been with us, and so
it shall be with us. Now I see whate'er betide, all
is well if Christ be mine. He has promised to provide May
he teach me to resign. When a sense of sin and thrall
forced me to the sinner's friend, he engaged to manage all by the
way into the end. Cast, he said, on me thy care. Tis enough that I am nigh. I
will all thy burden bear. I will all thy needs supply.
Lord, I would indeed submit. Gladly yield my all to thee,
what thy wisdom most sees fit, must be surely best for me. Only
when the way is rough and the coward flesh would start, let
thy promise and thy love cheer and animate my heart. Now look
at the next slide, the last part of verse 11. James tells us to
be patient. Because the Lord is very pitiful
and of tender mercy. Isn't that wonderful? He's very
pitiful. Very pitiful. That's a way that
the prophets and the apostles often speak about our Lord, redundantly. Very pitiful. That means he's
very full of pity. He is plumb full, very much so,
of pity. It's a redundant statement, but
that's because we can't begin to imagine how pitiful our Lord
is with his children in this world, full of pity and of tender
mercy. I will mention the loving kindness
of the Lord The praises of the Lord according to all that the
Lord hath bestowed on us and the great goodness toward the
house of Israel Which he hath bestowed on them according to
his mercies and according to the multitude of his lovingkindness
is now listen to this in all their affliction He was afflicted How can God be afflicted In all
their affliction, he was afflicted. And the angel of his presence
saved them. In his love and in his pity,
he redeemed them, and he bared them and carried them all the
days of old. Now, one last thing. Verse 12. God the Holy Ghost here teaches
us patience. knowing that tribulation worketh
patience. But it's by patience that we
honor our God. So James tells us to act like
Job and urges us not to act like Moses. You remember Moses in
a fit of anger. In a fit of anger against God. In a fit of anger against God. took out his rod and smote the
rock, Christ Jesus, the second time. And God said, you can't
take my people into the land of promise because I will be
sanctified of my people. He never sanctified my name.
So James says, brethren, in the midst of difficulty and trouble,
when things are tough, above all things, my brethren, Swear
not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any
other oath. Let your yea be yea, and your
nay, nay, lest you fall into condemnation. Impatience, murmuring against
God's providence, is murmuring against God. And this impatience,
this murmuring manifests itself in secret envy, in sighs and
growls. And it's openly manifest when
we break out into rash oaths and profanity. I just read late last night a
man by the name of Hill, Mr. Hill. I don't know exactly which
Hill it was, but he was on a sailing vessel. And sailing vessels,
excuse me, Brother David, they're not well known for polite language. as you probably could attest
to. And he heard one of the ship's mates swearing. And then he heard
the captain start to swear. And the captain started to swear
again. And Mr. Hill stepped over. He said, let
me have my turn. And the captain knew him to be
a man who professed faith and wasn't accustomed to hearing
him swear. He said, what do you mean? He said, well, it's only
proper that things go in order. This man's had his turn to swear
and you've had your turn to swear Let me have my turn to swear
and Kevin said well that makes sense. Okay your turns next he's
I choose not to I Choose not to he's well, why do you choose
not to he's if you can show me? any good that can come from it,
but then I'll start to swear and That was the end of the argument
Children of God Don't be rash. Don't act like other men. Don't
behave as other men. Walk before God with ease of
heart, with ease of mind, trusting Him. In patience, possess your
souls. Peace, by complaining, doubting
heart, ye busy cares be still, adore the just, the sovereign
Lord, nor murmur at his will. Unerring wisdom guides his hand,
nor dares my guilty fear amid the sharpest pains I feel pronounce
his hand severe. To soften every painful stroke,
indulgent mercy bends, and unrepining when I plead, His gracious ear
attends. Let me reflect with humble awe
whenever my heart complains, compared with what my sins deserve, how easy are my pains. Yes, Lord,
I own Thy sovereign hand, Thou just and wise and kind. Be every gracious thought, every
anxious thought suppressed, and all my will resigned. But oh,
indulge this only wish, this boon I must implore. Assure my
soul that thou art mine. My God, I ask no more. Assure my soul that thou art
mine. My God, I ask no more. I just caught Teresa's eye. Y'all
going through a tough time. And my heart aches for you. And I don't know how to explain
it, but our Savior is very pitiful. He's touched with what touches
you. How do you handle this? How do you handle this? Be patient. Be patient. in unfathomable minds of never-failing
skill. Deep in unfathomable minds of
never-failing skill, our God works His vast designs and He
performs His will. Be patient. Be patient. God will put everything in clear
light real soon. And you will rejoice in everything
he has done. Can't tell you, Bill, how often
I think about you and Vicki. Can't tell you how often. I've
told you this. Wouldn't have chosen what you've
seen with Tony. all these years for anything
in the world. You wouldn't, I wouldn't. You'd like to see him grow up
just like Travis has. Is that true? But oh, how delightful it will
be to see how God has performed His will for His glory and that
boy's everlasting good and your happiness in His. God is too
wise to err, too strong to fail, be patient, be patient, be patient. Oh, Don Portner, be patient, be patient. Amen.