ESOCS Devotional 17 December 2025 – Learning to be Patient
MEMORY VERSE: “It is better to be patient than powerful; it is better to have self-control than to conquer a city.” Proverbs 16:32 NLT
TEXT: PROVERBS 16:20-33
He who heeds the word wisely will find good,
And whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.
21 The wise in heart will be called prudent,
And sweetness of the lips increases learning.
22 Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it.
But the correction of fools is folly.
23 The heart of the wise teaches his mouth,
And adds learning to his lips.
24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.
25 There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death.
26 The person who labors, labors for himself,
For his hungry mouth drives him on.
27 An ungodly man digs up evil,
And it is on his lips like a burning fire.
28 A perverse man sows strife,
And a whisperer separates the best of friends.
29 A violent man entices his neighbor,
And leads him in a way that is not good.
30 He winks his eye to devise perverse things;
He purses his lips and brings about evil.
31 The silver-haired head is a crown of glory,
If it is found in the way of righteousness.
32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
33 The lot is cast into the lap,
But its every decision is from the Lord.
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Patience can be described as how we react, behave and trust, while we are waiting for something to happen. Patience in any circumstance says a lot about our character and our walk and trust in God. Patience requires the work of the Holy Spirit combined with our intentional hard work as Jesus’ disciples. We do not “naturally have” patience. Our impatience is part of the work of our flesh, our sinful nature, at war with the call of the Holy Spirit to develop Spirit-led fruit in our lives.
As in all things, Jesus is our great example of patience. The Lord patiently worked with His disciples for more than three years. He patiently fashioned them through His ministry and prepared them for the Holy Spirit to empower them to change the world. As Christ Jesus lived out His ministry, our Lord was always acting on God’s timing. He did not rush His ministry, patiently waiting for His hour to come.
Patience is a virtue that comes hard for many of us. It is difficult because our pride, selfishness, and anger stand between us and patience. Many of us would have to admit that we find it difficult to be patient. Patience teaches us to wait, to remember that God is still in charge. It reminds us that God isn’t finished yet. We may not understand all there is to know. It is virtually impossible to make yourself patient. We can’t produce patience on our own.
But as we mature in our Christian faith, as we learn to trust more and more that God really is in charge of this world and our lives, then patience is the fruit that grows as a natural result of our relationship with God. Remember, patience is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). God grows that fruit as we grow in Him. I think the most important step we can take to develop patience is to give God control of our life (Ps.40:1).
As disciples of Jesus, patience is necessary for us to please God, especially in our treatment of others. Patience requires a great deal of self-control. We must invite the Holy Spirit to fill us, shape us, lead us, and grow us in patience and self-control. As we mature, the Scriptures urge us to be patient and self-controlled, reminding us of the great truth in today’s proverb.
CHALLENGES
- Patience with others is love; Patience with self is hope and patience with God is faith – Adel Bestavros.Are you a patient person?
PRAYER POINT
- Lord Jesus, help me to be patient that I may be at peace with God and all men.
FURTHER READING: Proverbs 15:1-15; Jude 1:1-13; Revelation 2:1-12.
ESOCS Devotional 17 December 2025
