“Second Quality of Character Temperance” (2 Peter 1:5)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/20/2025 9:41 PM

My Worship Time                                           Focus: “Second Quality of Character Temperance”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                           Reference:  2 Peter 1:5

            Message of the verses:  5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,

            I continue to quote from Warren Wiersbe’s commentary:  “Temperance is the next quality on Peter’s list of spiritual virtues, and it means self-control.  ‘He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city’ (Prov. 16:32).  ‘He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls’ (Prov. 25:28).  Paul in his letters often compared the Christian to an athlete who must exercise and discipline himself if he ever hopes to win the prize (1 Cor. 9:24-27; Phil. 3:12-16; 1 Tim. 4:7-8).

            “Patience is the ability to endure when circumstances are difficult.  Self-control has to do with handling the pleasures of life, while patience relates primarily to the pressures and problems of life.  (The ability to endure problem people is ‘long-suffering.’) Often the person who ‘gives in’ to pleasures is not disciplined enough to handle pressures either, so he ‘gives up.’

            “Patience is not something that develops automatically; we must work at it.  James 1:2-8 gives us the right approach.  We must expect trials to come, because without trials we could never learn patience.  We must, by faith let our trials work for us, because we know that God is at work in our trials.  If we need wisdom in making decisions God will grant that wisdom if we ask Him.  Nobody enjoys trials, but we do enjoy the confidence we can have in trials that God is at work, causing everything to work together for our good and His glory.”

            It is good that I got to read this last paragraph for I believe the Lord knew that this is what I needed as I go through the great trial of my wife having cancer at this time.  I do desire that God will use this illness to bring glory to Himself as He works this out to our good and His glory.

10/20/2025 10:02 PM