Patience ~ the hallmark of a Saint:

A hallmark is the  official mark that goldsmiths use to attest to the purity of their metal.  Patience is the official mark attesting to the purity of sainthood.

Four examples of impatience:

1.  King Saul chafing at the prophet Samuel’s delay performed the work of the prophet himself by offering the sacrifice for Israel’s success in battle

2.  Esau – because of his impatience surrendered his birthright for a bowl of stew

3.  The Lord had planned that Moses deliver Israel immediately from Egypt.  Moses felt that the Lord was moving too slowly so he took m aters into his own hands by killing the Egyptian.   The Lord sent him into the wilderness for forty years to learn the art of patience.

4.  When a village rejected Jesus, James and John were impatient for revenge and wanted Jesus to call fire down from heaven to destroy that village.

There are four significant ways by which we can develop patience: by learning how to wait (Psalms 37:7); Patience thrives best in the soil of affliction (Romans 5:3); 2Peter 1:5,6 – these verses are part of Peter’s ladder for the strong development of a strong spiritual life; the quality of life that will help a person to attain patience is the love of Christ in their heart (1 Cor 13:4) “Love suffereth long”.

Luke 21:19 “In your patience possess ye your souls”.