Ecclesiastes 7:8–9: “The end of a thing is better than its beginning, / The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. / Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, / For anger rests in the bosom of fools.”

July 12th, 2024 by Pastor Ed in devotional

We need to be patient and slow to anger. In our pride, we like to think we have something important to say. But whenever we jump to conclusions about a person’s motive for saying or doing something, it always gets us in trouble. Why is it that we almost never regret when we’ve waited to offer our opinions, but often regret when we quickly rushed into situations, thinking we had the answer? Solomon says that there is wisdom in being patient.

Aesop’s fable, “The Crow and the Pitcher,” is written about patience. A crow, half-dead with thirst, came upon a pitcher that had once been full of water; but when he put his beak into the pitcher, he found that very little water was left and that he could not reach it. He tried and tried, but at last had to give up in despair. Then a thought came to him. He took a pebble and dropped it into the pitcher, he continued dropping pebbles into the pitcher until at last he saw the water close enough to reach. He was finally able to quench his thirst, which saved his life. Little-by-little does the trick. Our growth, as authentic, genuine believers, should follow a similar pattern as we become more and more conformed into the image of the Son. As we surrender to God, little-by-little, pebble-by-pebble, He changes us.

“LORD, please do have Your way in our hearts and mind this day we pray.”