Let patience have her perfect work

Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. (James 1:3-4)

We often overlook the fact that temptation and patience are opposites. Temptation is demanding immediate gratification of a desire; patience is but to except God’s delay. Yet temptation is set as a handmaid to the godly mind identifying the need for patience in the tempted area. Paul says on another occasion, "the resisting of temptation builds character". It is no different than weight-lifting or resistance training as an athlete. The heavy lifting of maintaining a Christ-like disposition creates spiritual muscle. Temptation masquerades as a short-cut to a legitimate desire. The answer to temptation is patience. A little patience will beget more patience for a greater blessing. Yet patience is not waiting in a vacuum; rather, it is preoccupied with both theology and prayer; that is, studying God’s ways and acquiring His wisdom. For what God desires to give you in all things is Himself and that through patience. Realize there are no short-cuts and let patience have her perfect work.

Yuri Solomon - Devotional 100713

They shall be His people, and God Himself shall be their God

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. (Revelation 21:3)

Herein is the ultimate definition of heaven, a perfect relationship, mutual in character on both ends. Heaven is less a place than it is the presence of a person: God, Himself. Heretofore we were absolutely God's people, yet there is that sense in which God was not absolutely our God.  In our immaturity, we still harbored alternative gods. The first commandment, thou shall have no other God before me, is violated again and again before we are glorified. But at that time sanctification will give way to glory, and we will know even as we are known: actuated, actualized, not positional but practical, not merely credited righteousness but personal righteousness. Matthew Henry describes the new human capacity, “and then He will fully answer the character of the relation on His part, as they [humans] shall do on their part.” For the first time in our relationship with God, without ambiguity or abstraction, without sin’s interruption, in both mind and body, He shall be our God.

-Yuri Solomon 100313