Job 6:11
"What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What prospects, that I should be patient?"
Psalm 37:7
"Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes."
Life is full of twists and turns. We've all struggled through some trial of heartbreak, loss or pain. We have all felt the injustice of the world, on some level. The ends don't always justify the means when we feel we have been treated unfairly. Job loss, intense sickness, death of a loved one, or just our daily battles are examples of how Satan can overwhelm us.
How does God want us to respond? In two words, He says, "Trust Me." Just as Job questions, we too want to rely on our own strength and timing. We have our own ideas about what should be done to make a wrong right, but so does God and His ways are never wrong.
We are to persevere, even when the whole world seems to be against us. Hebrews 12:1-3 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." "It is in the season of trial that God’s purposes are often realized, for there the conditions are right for us to grow into spiritual maturity. This growth not only equips us for living, but it also enables us to more accurately reflect Jesus to a world that desperately needs Him."
As for myself, my life has been marked with perseverance despite the physical odds against me. God has been with me and together we've accomplished much. God has helped me get through tough times, when I thought the bend was the end. In 2001, what I thought defined my life was stripped away but what began was my spiritual maturity. Praise be to God, that He helped me achieve what was far more important in these past 15 years.. a stronger relationship with Him than the world.
This week I watched a movie that is defined by perseverance, "Greater". I highly recommend this true story of Brandon Burlsworth's life. I won't spoil it for you, but you will see how public ridicule and the lack of worldly approval didn't weaken his faith. How blessed his life was in that he influenced so many others for Christ.
May your own race be a victory for you and Christ, no matter what obstacles you face on the journey.
