TODAY’S SIGNATURE VERSE ••• Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. (1 Timothy 4:15 NKJV)
PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• Wayne and I adopted a puppy this week. We named her Audrey; she’s so stinking cute and quite a snuggle bug. After we lost our Labrador, Beth, in December, I wasn’t sure I would ever have a dog again, but this little puppy has been a welcome balm to my heart. I still miss Beth like crazy, and I’ve had moments of sadness that our house even had space for another dog. But Audrey has quickly made her place in our home and hearts (not so much with our cats — they haven’t been as amused by her antics).
The big challenge this week has been house training. I have my timer set for every hour or so to take her out. And each time, it’s like a race against Audrey’s bladder. Training was especially fun since we had a lot of rain this week.
Friday, as I stood outside in the rain at way-too-early o’clock, patiently waiting and wondering (aka, Googling) how long it takes to house train a puppy, I couldn’t help but consider how patient God is with me.
Even when I mess up.
Even when it takes me forever to get it right.
Even when I want to do things my way rather than obey Him.
Even in those moments, He patiently waits, and His Holy Spirit continues to convict and redirect me. And sometimes, He has to discipline me and remind me — my role in this relationship is to listen and obey.
We know from 1 John 4:16 that God is love and 1 Corinthians 13:4a says, “Love suffers long and is kind.” The phrase “suffers long” is also translated to “patient.”
I am so thankful for God’s patience with me… But I confess, there are a lot of “Squirrel!” moments in my life. That’s when I’m pretty sure God face-palms Himself.
But I think of the wise words Paul wrote to Timothy, “Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all” (1 Timothy 4:15).
I’m still in training. I won’t be perfect without mistakes in this lifetime. But I’m learning. God, with His loving patience, is continuing to transform me, helping me to become more like Jesus. Hopefully, the transformation shows up in my life and others see the difference Jesus has made in me… And someday, I will stand before Him, fully made new because He has cloaked me in His righteousness and paid the price for my sins.
It has taken puppy training this week to have a new understanding of God’s patience and love for me.
I’m so grateful.
Today, as you pray, thank God for being patient with you. Ask the Holy Spirit to keep working on you, too, redirecting you. Ask Him to help you obey and surrender to the Father’s will.
PS: Obligatory puppy pictures included below or in the comments.
SHARING ••• My Grace-Full Life is written by Denise Heidel. You are welcome to share anything I write, but please credit my writing and graphics accordingly. Visit www.MyGraceFullLife.com to read past blogs. Subscribe through my website to have My Grace-Full Life delivered to your email. You can unsubscribe at any time. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the NKJV translation.
