Who in the Bible Had a Lot of Patience?

Noah gets the patience award because he rode with the animals, says Jeremy, 8: "They probably stunk."

That wasn't all that smelled, says Rachel, 7: "I think it was really hard because everyone was calling Noah crazy. I think that really stunk. Noah was patient."

My favorite reason for Noah's patience comes from Gayce, 9: "He listened to God."

Noah could have listened to the taunts and harassment, but he kept his ear tuned to God. That's always the challenge, isn't it? Listen to God or listen to people. Hearing God means you'll be swimming against the tide. You'll be tempted to let the tide of popular opinion and culture carry you out to sea.

"Mary had a lot of patience going around and trying to find a place to give birth," says Sean, 11.

The Bible never comments on Mary's patience, but we can see it at many points. Think of her patience when trying to explain to Joseph that she was pregnant but still a virgin. Until an angel explained things to Joseph, he doubted her.

What about the many times Mary didn't understand her son? My favorite account is the wedding feast where Mary told Jesus their hosts had run out of wine. His response was extraordinary: "Woman, what does your concern have to do with me? My hour has not yet come" (John 2:4). Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus refers to the time of his crucifixion as his "hour."

At the Last Supper with his disciples, Jesus lifted a cup of wine and said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood" (I Corinthians 11:25).

At the wedding feast, when Mary told Jesus of the wine shortage, perhaps Jesus made the symbolic connection with his crucifixion, which would establish the new covenant. In any event, her instructions to the servants were remarkable: "Whatever he says to you, do it."

You have to wonder how much Mary knew and how patient she must have been to immediately instruct the servants to obey her son. Jesus' words to Mary sound strange to us, but there's no indication from Mary that she thought he was being disrespectful.

The struggle for patience surrounds the birth of another baby, says Christen: "I think Abraham and Sarah had a lot of patience because Sarah wanted a baby. Abraham asked God, but they had to wait awhile."

The Lord promised Abram descendants as numerous as the stars. Later, his name was changed to Abraham, which means father of many. At the time, he wasn't father of any. The Scripture records that he believed in the Lord, and the Lord credited it to him for righteousness.

Before the birth of Isaac, Sarah and Abraham came up with a plan to help God keep his promise. Sarah asked her maidservant to visit Abraham's tent, and the result was the birth of Ishmael. Trouble always follows when we try to help God instead of patiently waiting for him to work. For details, read Genesis 16 and 17.

The Bible character most known for patience is Job, says Kristen, 7: "He had to wait for his sores to go away. I do not think I could do that."

It wasn't only his sores. Job's entire world collapsed. He lost his family, property and health. Oh, I almost forgot. One family member survived. His nagging wife urged him to curse God and die.

Job was clueless about the reason for his troubles. He didn't know that Satan had challenged his integrity in the court of heaven. Job's response to his sufferings stands as a memorial to his patient trust in the Lord: "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him."

Job's patience is legendary, but there is someone who surpasses him, says Ally, 12: "Jesus died a hard, slow death for us. He is always patient, waiting for us to turn to Him."

Carey Kinsolving is a syndicated columnist, producer, author, speaker and website developer. To see more material like this, visit www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org. The Kids Talk About God website contains free, online content for children and families. See Carey’s Kid TV Interviews. Hear a book talk. Print free lessons from the "Kids Color Me Bible" and make your own book. Let an 11-year-old girl take you on a trip around the world in the Mission Explorers Streaming Video. Print Scripture verses illustrated by child artists. Receive a complimentary, weekly e-mail subscription to our Devotional Bible Lessons.

Bible quotations are from the New King James Version. 

Copyright 2007 Carey Kinsolving