When reading Scripture, one quickly sees God is overtly attracted to people who will not quit when faced with adversity. He is drawn to a person with a persevering spirit. In this type of individual, he finds a resilient clay he can mold into a long-lasting vessel for the miraculous. From Genesis to Revelation, we get to see this principle repeated in the lives of men like Moses, Daniel, and Paul.
Consider, there would be little to tell about a man like Moses in Scripture without his choice to keep appearing before Pharaoh; Hebrew deliverance required more than ten visits to Egypt's governing throne. But, Moses' refusal to quit led to God’s people experiencing freedom.
As well, there would be no story of Daniel without PERSEVERANCE in the face of PERSECUTION. He kept praying, even when it meant he might lose his life to religious persecution! Praying got him into trouble and praying got him out of trouble. God rewarded his faithfulness.
Paul was beaten, thrown in prison, shipwrecked, lied about -- and on top of all of that -- he also carried the pressure accompanied with leading multiple churches with thousands of believers. But he never quit. He kept persevering.
Hear Paul in Romans 5:4, “...but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” In summary, he is teaching us, we can’t have CHARACTER without PERSEVERANCE. Our character will never be developed fully without persevering through the difficult things that actually develop it.
Have you considered where God might be inviting you to persevere? It's important to consider because without perseverance, miracles can be diverted, and losses are sure to accumulate.
“Stand firm, (persevere) and you will win in life!” (Luke 21:19 NIV)
Check out this message from Pastor Eric to learn how to persevere and win in life.
Commenti