What Can Patience Teach Us?

James 5:11

James makes a reference to the patience of Job in the closing chapter of his epistle. Since patience is something that we all need more and more in the day which we live let us look to the book of Job and see what patience can teach us?

Patience the great teacher: (Romans 15:4)

In Romans we see that the scriptures were written for our learning that through patience and comfort of the scriptures we might have hope. Romans also shows us in chapter 5 that tribulation worketh patience. Therefore patience is like a silent teacher and if we can look to the scriptures for comfort and endure the hardship there are some valuable things that patience can teach us.

What can Patience teach us?

1)  How to overcome Satan and temptation (Job 1 & 2)

• In these two chapters Job faces all that was thrown at him by the devil. He was in a constant state of readiness (Job 1:5 with 3:26) which shows us a lot of patience.

2)  Who the real enemy is (Job 13, 19, & 32:35)

• Job accused his friends and God of being his adversary, but when God showed up he gave Job two chapters worth of who the real enemy was, Satan (Job 40 & 41).
• Many times saved people spend all their time fighting other saved people and forget who the real enemy is, Satan.

3)  Who God really is (Job 38-42)

• When God began to speak Job realized that he did not know as much as he thought he knew. God reveals a lot about himself his power and who he really is in these chapters.
• Note Job 42:5 where Job said that he had heard of God with his ear but know he sees him with his eye.
• Without tribulation and patience we will never see God the way that Job saw God.

4)  The End of the Lord (Job 42:12-17)

• James 5:11 makes reference the end of the Lord and how is very pitiful and of tender mercy.
• We can see this clearly at the end of Job.

The perfect work of Patience: (James 1:3-4)

At the beginning of James we see an admonition to let patience have her perfect work. Let us look to the scriptures to seek comfort and let patience show us God and all his glory.