Lord's Day Devotion - Bulldozer People

 Some people are like bulldozers. They plough through people, not caring whom they hurt or harm.  They can be windbags that blast those around them with verbal sewage - those egoistical boasts of what they proudly know - their head knowledge.  God's Word is so succinct in this regard,

"... This knowledge puffs up, but love builds up" (1 Corinthians 8:1 ESV).

These people of supposed "knowledge" feel so superior they are extremely impatient with others who do not venerate their supposed grandeur, nor match up to them.  They do not let others get a word in edgewise.  If the other does manage a stumbled and stuttered, 'but,' 'but,' or 'do you realize ...' they are swiftly cut off with another verbal barrage.

I call these people 'bulldozers' or 'bulldozer people'.   Often, they actually show their ignorance and misguided assumptions.  It's terrible.  We can smirk at and be repulsed by them in turn as they reveal more and more of their ignorance.  

As believers, though, we need God's help to be restrained by the Holy Spirit and wait for His timing to speak.   The lack of patience and tolerance of the bulldozers, can be significantly contrasted with Jesus' approach.  

Jesus is the only one who is truly omniscient.  He truly knows everything, yet He came humbly, in the form of a servant:  submissive and obedient to His father God.  He did not bulldoze through people except for perhaps, confronting the bulldozer people of his day, such as the Pharisees, those religious leaders.

Mostly, let's hone in on our Lord's patience, which is very much at odds with the 'bulldozers'.  It is borne out in 2 Peter 3:8 & 9, but I share verse 9 specifically ...

"The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance" (2 Peter 3:9 ESV).

No matter how much one may impatiently bluster and blither, and spew their minds, the Lord is patient with them.  Bulldozers being blinded by their own pride and beliefs that 'they are RIGHT,' that they are superior one, the Lord is patient with them because He is

 "not willing nor wishing that any should perish." 

 He waits for their repentance.

No matter how long it takes, a day or a 'thousand years,' the Lord is patient.  He has been patient with us.  He has given followers of Jesus the Holy Spirit.  The fruit of the Spirit is patience (see Galatians 5:22-23).  We can forebear with the bulldozer people because they too, need repentance just like we did, and still do.

Jesus died and rose again for them, just as He did for us.  Now He patiently awaits the individual's decision to repent.

As we ponder on this, this Lord's Day, let's be glad and rejoice Jesus waited for us.  Take of the bread and wine - those symbols of His broken body and His blood shed for us.  It is in Christ alone we can have this hope and experience His patience towards us.  His mercy is new every morning.  His promises are sure.

Thank You, Father God for Your patience and love that sent Jesus to die for us, and to resurrect and live for us now with You, intercedeing for us.  We partake of the bread and drink from the cup in remembrance of this.

We continue to bask in Your love and patience even more than 2000 years later since Jesus ascended back to be with You.  We marvel at Your long-suffering patience but are grateful for it.

Help us to patiently wait for our loved ones' repentance, those we've prayed for for 30 or 40 years or more.  We feel impatient because we too do NOT want or wish them to perish.  

Additionally, help us to have patience with the bulldozer people - the ones who belong to You as well as the ones who don't.  And God forbid if we are one of them!

We ask in Jesus' name.  Amen.

                                                 ~  ERC  March 2026  ~

Based on 2 Peter 3:8 & 9 ESV.

Sing, His Mercy is More, along with Keith & Kristyn Getty and Matt Papa.