11/06/2026
✝️ Mid-Week Manna 🍞🥖
📖 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲
One of the toughest lessons we learn in life is the art of patience. It is a difficult lesson because we live in what might be called a microwave society. Ready meals and instant coffee are popular because they provide results with minimal effort. Yet we have learned that what comes quickly is not always best.
However much we try to avoid patience, we cannot escape its call. Dr Seuss, in his inimitable style, described the imaginative and humorous “waiting place”:
“Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come…
Everyone is just waiting.”
Waiting is part of life. Whether it is the fisherman anticipating the bite 🎣, the gardener watching for the seeds to grow 🌱, the crowds assembled in an endless queue 🚶♂️🚶♀️, or counting time by watching the hourglass ⏳, we must have patience.
Anyone who has recently visited A&E 🏥 will understand. We may complain about the delay, yet we recognise that staff are stretched and that more urgent cases require attention. Eventually we are treated by skilled professionals who do their utmost to help us. The waiting pays.
King David understood both the value of waiting and the strength it produces:
📖 𝗪𝗮𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗗: 𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁: 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁, 𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝘆, 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗗. (Psalm 27:14)
Centuries later James taught suffering Christians that patience was part of God’s purpose for them:
📖 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸… (James 1:3-4)
Patience is a hard lesson in God’s schoolhouse, yet it forms Christian character and strengthens faith. Through trials we learn that God does not grant every request, and that those things He chooses to give will come in His time, the right time. As we wait, we learn to pray more 🙏, trust more 🤍, and believe more ✨.
Patience eventually becomes hope 🌅. Just as the farmer plants his seed in expectation of harvest, the Christian looks forward to the fulfilment of God’s promises and the gift of eternal life. Even when life becomes a vale of tears, hope remains, for those who sow in tears shall reap in joy (Psalm 126).
Patience also teaches contentment. We learn to accept the things we cannot change and to trust the path appointed by our Heavenly Father. William Cowper wisely observed:
“The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.”
🌸 𝗚𝗼𝗱’𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱.
Perhaps, dear reader, you cannot call God your Father because you have not yet been born again into His family. The uncertainties and sorrows of life are difficult to bear without the hope that Christ gives.
That hope comes through Jesus Christ, who endured the cross ✝️ “for the joy that was set before him” (Hebrews 12:2). Through union with Him we receive strength to endure, hope for tomorrow, and peace for today.
This is the testimony of every true believer:
📖 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁: 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗜 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲; 𝘆𝗲𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗜, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗲… (Galatians 2:20)
✨ 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆. 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄. 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲.
❓ 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁-𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲?
❓ 𝗜𝘀 𝗛𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿?
