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Aired: Saturday 8 October 2022 9am-11am
More Posts for Show: It's Biblical
Key Text: “But the fruit of the Spirit is . . . longsuffering” (Galatians 5:22, NKJV)
Hope and meekness, as essential tools for overcoming crucibles, are both defined by waiting. However, the concept of biblical waiting is not only about waiting but also waiting with patience. This patience is not a political stratagem but is part of the fruit of the Spirit. God’s people wait patiently in the crucible, because God Himself is patient. God is patient because He is loving in character and because He also chooses the best moment to intervene. But that best moment is calculated by God to offer as much time as possible for the salvation of as many people as possible. Again, waiting is possible only when we trust the One for whom we are waiting.
Lesson Themes: This week’s lesson highlights two major themes.
1. We understand that patient waiting is part of the fruit of the Spirit and is crucial in our overcoming crucibles.
2. Waiting patiently becomes possible when we know and trust the person we are waiting for.
Thought Question: Why do we sometimes have to wait so long for things? What lessons can we learn about patience while in the crucible?
Key Text: “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5, NKJV)
When in church surrounded by smiling people, how easy it is to talk and sing about hope. But when we find ourselves within the crucible, hope does not always seem so easy. As circumstances press in around us, we begin to question everything, particularly the wisdom of God.
In one of his books, C. S. Lewis writes about a make-believe lion. Wanting to meet this lion, someone asks if the lion is safe. The person is told that he’s not safe, “but he’s good.”
Even though we don’t always understand God and He seems to do unpredictable things, that doesn’t mean that God is against us. It simply means that we don’t have the full picture yet. But we struggle with the idea that for us to have peace, confidence, and hope, God must be understandable and predictable. He needs to be, in our thinking, “safe.” As such, we set ourselves up for disappointment.
Lesson Themes: This week’s lesson highlights two major themes.
1. Understanding the larger framework of the plan of salvation and prophetic events plays a crucial role in helping us to cultivate the hope that helps us overcome the crucibles of life.
2. The biblical source of hope lies in understanding who God is; that He is with us; and that He has plans for, and with, us.
Thought question: How does our understanding of the character of God help us maintain hope in the crucible?
