Pondering Proverbs

For the next few weeks we return to pondering Proverbs

Proverbs 14 29  Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.

I’ve often heard the throw away line that says, “Lord give me patience, but hurry up!” 

How are you in the patience stakes?

A man was walking through a supermarket with a screaming baby in the shopping cart. A woman nearby noticed that time and again the man would calmly say: “Keep calm, Albert. Keep calm, Albert. Finally, in admiration for the man’s patience as the child continued to wail, the woman walked up to him and said: “Sir, I must commend you for your patience with baby Albert.” To which the man replied, “Madam, I am Albert!”

In this proverb, Solomon addresses the subject of controlling one's temper. Patience is the ability to think before speaking or acting is a sign of great maturity. In the context of the book of Proverbs, "patient learning" leads to "knowledge," which allows a person the ability to use "wisdom." Well-developed wisdom becomes "understanding," which can then be passed on to others. A self-controlled person demonstrates this refined, advanced form of wisdom.

The great baptist preacher, Charles Spurgeon, once said, “Patience is a grace as difficult as it is necessary, and as hard to come by as it is precious when it is gained.”

Lord, give me patience for today, so that I may overcome any difficult tasks ahead. Nothing is impossible with You by my side, and I pray that Your Holy Spirit showers me with grace and patience to see the end of the day with my head held high. I lift up everything to You Lord. Amen.