This is the first Sunday of the last quarter of 2023. It is a great time to pause and assess our year and if we are achieving what we had planned for this year. I encourage us not to be hard on ourselves if we are not satisfied with our progress. Instead, evaluate and focus on the next course of action to end the year strong.

Sometimes, we have to be patient because God’s delay is not his denial. We all know the old adage: Patience is a virtue. But it’s true! Patience can help us achieve our goals, maintain a more positive outlook on life, and make us less reactive, making us less prone to bad decisions. Stress, regret, and anger don’t help anything. So, take a minute when you’re facing an uncertain future, a negative event, or something scary. Don’t do anything, and be silent. I am more patient now than a few years ago, which has been beneficial. My friend Walerine sends me daily profound content from “Bible in One Year.”

Nicky Gumbel is the pioneer Alpha and Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton in London, which he leads with his wife, Pippa. Together, they introduced the Bible in One Year Commentary in 2009 as a daily email for their congregation. Since then, it has become a successful app, book, podcast and website with a global following. I will share the one on patience and the joy of waiting with you:

God’s Patience
Our Savior wants everyone to experience His grace, mercy, and everlasting love.
September 17, 2023
1 Timothy 1:12-17

Some people imagine God getting frustrated every time they make a mistake. As a result, many of them live in constant fear of doing something wrong. But that’s not who God is at all. Instead, He has endless patience and mercy for His children.

The Lord knows we have a fallen nature, and He completely understands our struggle against it (Heb. 4:15). Just as a toddler learns obedience, God’s children also learn to walk in His ways. Because our Father takes pleasure in watching us do what is right, He allows us time and room for mistakes.

Now, if we repeatedly reject the salvation God provides, then we’ll experience His judgment one day. That choice is real. But keep in mind that Jesus came into the world specifically to save sinners. He wants everyone to be saved—and with great patience, mercy, and grace, He generously gives everyone time to come to Him.

God is always waiting and ready for us to return to His loving embrace, just like the Father of the Prodigal Son. Is there anything you want to confess to the Lord today? Repentance will open a blocked line of communication. Remember, God is slow to anger and enjoys spending time with you.

The Joy of Waiting
As we look forward to the fulfillment of God’s promises, we can rejoice in His presence today.
September 20, 2023
Zephaniah 3:14; Zephaniah 3:16-17

Zephaniah had to deliver hard news to Judah. Because of their sins—especially the sin of worshipping false idols—a day of great judgment lay ahead. “On that day,” the prophet said, God would judge their enemies, but His anger would also devastate the nation He loved (Zeph. 1:4-9).

In verse 16 of chapter 3, however, Zephaniah uses the same phrase—“on that day”—to promise a time of renewal. God encourages them to rejoice, even while they wait and endure a time of suffering. As the other prophets do, Zephaniah connects the call to joy with God’s faithful presence among His people. Whatever they face, He will be with them. They have enemies and feel abandoned, but God is “a victorious warrior” who “will rejoice over [them] with shouts of joy” (v. 17).

And what about us? We also wait for a world restored, where our fellowship with God will never end. The writer of Hebrews sees Jesus as our example for joyful work while we “run with endurance” toward that goal (Heb. 12:1). Consider Jesus, he writes, who endured the cross “for the joy set before him”—that of sitting in fellowship with the Father (Heb. 12:2). Because we look forward to that same blessing, we can set fear aside and rejoice!

Bible in One Year: Joel 1-3

“God encourages them to rejoice, even while they wait and endure a time of suffering” This sentence in the passage stood out. I imagine waiting on something you desire for so long and you are suffering. How possible it is to rejoice? What has helped me to rejoice while in the deep dark valley is believing that whatever I am going through is part of God’s plan to take me back to the mountain top. In these moments we recognised and realised many things and one such thing is accountability. We need to be accountable for our actions and be stronger than our excuses.

The Benefits of Accountability
Giving others permission to speak into our life helps us avoid common pitfalls.
September 26, 2023
Hebrews 10:23-25

Today, let’s look at the benefits of accountability:

Clear direction. Honesty about your faults allows you the opportunity to hear the right counsel and encouragement. This will help you do and become all that God has in mind for you.

Increased integrity. If you have to give an account to somebody, you’re more likely to be honest and transparent.

Better stewardship. Accounting for how you use money, time, or talent makes you careful not to waste those resources.

Protection against excess. As children of God, we are free in Christ, but an accountability partner helps us stay balanced and guards us from taking liberties.

Healthy self-examination. Another person can often point out what we cannot see in ourselves.

Safeguard against unwise relationships. If you give an account of the places you go and the people you spend time with, you’ll be more likely to make wise choices.

Unbridled freedom may seem like a great blessing, but it can be a recipe for disaster. Do you give an account to anybody for the way you handle money, time, and relationships? If not, consider inviting a trustworthy Christian to fill that role. Taking this step reveals a heart that longs to please God.

Pleasing God helps us to develop that intimate relationship with God. Bible in One Year shares this info on
“Barriers to Intimacy With God”
What is keeping you from the joy and peace that come from a close relationship with God?
Psalm 63:1-8

What do you want more than anything else in life? Is it a relationship? An opportunity? Most of the things we wish for involve someone else. We all want to be loved. But even our closest relationships can sometimes leave us disappointed or lonely, despite our best efforts.

Consider our relationship with the Lord. He says he loves us “with an everlasting love” (Jer. 31:3), but it can be difficult to know what true intimacy with Him looks or feels like. In Psalm 63, David compares his soul’s great hunger for God to feeling thirst “in a dry and exhausted land where there is no water” (v. 1) Have you ever felt that kind of longing for God’s company? It’s exactly the kind of closeness He wants for us.

Perhaps you struggle to feel near to the Lord. It could be pride that’s preventing you from admitting your need for Him. Maybe you feel life’s too hectic to sit in His presence. Or it’s possible you’re afraid to be transparent. That’s understandable, especially if you’ve been betrayed in the past. But remember, God will never fall short the way humans do. Whatever the case, simply start spending a few minutes with Him each day, and you’ll notice you have a bit more margin than you thought.

Pray to discover any barriers standing in the way of a deeper connection. And ask God to reveal steps you can take to experience more oneness and closeness with Him. He will answer.

A more intimate relationship with one was one of the things on my vision board this year, and I am consistently working on it. As we are given the privilege to walk daily to the corridor of life, let’s be conscious of the content we discussed in this column as we continue to celebrate this beautiful journey called life. BEYOND THE RUNWAY