“And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.” (Exodus 34:6)
This was not a mere description of God. It was His revealed nature. When God unveiled Himself to Moses, He began with mercy, grace, and longsuffering. That is the nature that sustains every covenant. That is the nature that preserves every marriage.
In marriage, God uses seasons of strain to unveil His nature within you. When emotions waver and faith stretches thin, He does not call you to fight or to flee. He calls you to stand still and let His grace work. “After that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you.” (1 Peter 5:10) Suffering has a limit, but its fruit is eternal strength. Every test you pass through with patience adds divine weight to your spirit. It forms within you the kind of love that does not break under pressure.
Abigail stands as a living portrait of longsuffering. Married to Nabal, a man rich in substance but poor in spirit, she endured arrogance, foolishness, and emotional neglect with divine wisdom. While Nabal’s pride drove him toward destruction, Abigail’s calm restraint preserved an entire household. She did not shout, argue, or retaliate. She acted under the inspiration of heaven. Her patience under provocation became the channel of divine intervention.
This is what many homes lack today. When one partner becomes unteachable, unreachable, or proud, communication begins to die, peace weakens, and love is tested. Yet it is not cowardice to endure. It is spiritual mastery. Longsuffering is the bridge between pain and divine intervention. It is what keeps a home standing while heaven completes its work.
Marriage is not a destination. It is a lifelong classroom. No one graduates. Every day brings new lessons in patience, forgiveness, and understanding. Longsuffering is what keeps you in class when others drop out. You will say again what you already said. You will forgive what you already forgave. You will love what has not yet changed. That is divine endurance. That is the love of God in motion.
To the singles, hear this prophetic word. Longsuffering is not learned in marriage; it must be built before marriage. It is not born in pleasure; it is formed in consecration. Without it, many will quit before glory appears. Longsuffering is what keeps a man or woman standing until the full counsel of God is revealed. It is not enduring in despair; it is enduring with hope. It is the patience that believes while waiting, the restraint that worships while wounded, the faith that stays until God finishes what He started.
Key Areas Where Longsuffering Is Needed in Marriage
