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What tests your spiritual endurance?

*finances?
*lack of a job?
*no insurance?
*death of a child?
*home foreclosure?
*your spouse’s affair?
*death of someone else?
*a child with an addiction?
*a husband hooked on porn?
*persecution from a loved one?
*the twisted knife in your back from your best friend?

On occasion, many of these strike all at once causing chaos to overwhelm us. Our eyes spill over with the tears of heartache. Discouragement sets in.

David wrote, “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him again - my Savior and my God!” (Ps. 42:5 NLT)

Who comes to mind as a biblical victor, a spiritual endurer? James wrote, “For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy.” James 5:10-11 NLT)

Paul wrote to the Romans, “For whatever was thus written in former days was written for our instruction, that by [our steadfast and patient] endurance and the encouragement [drawn] from the Scriptures we might hold fast to and cherish hope.” (Rom. 15:4 Amp)

I love reading the faith chapter, Hebrews 11. Listed are the names of all those who persevered from Abel to Enoch, Noah, and Abraham…by faith, by faith, by faith. They are those who held to the backside of the cross, having the faith to see what was yet to be. They had no anchor of hope in Christ as we do.

The writer of Hebrews said of Abraham, “And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.” (Heb. 6:15 NKJV) From the beginning of God’s promise of his son Isaac to Abraham until the time of fulfillment was about twenty five years. Then, Abraham’s faith was tested to the max. When he obeyed to the point of nearly sacrificing his own son, a Ram in the thicket was provided.

He endured. The all endured!

Our faith walk should be like Abraham’s, for he knew God kept His promises, “He drew strength from his faith, and, while giving the glory to God, remained absolutely convinced that God was able to implement His own promise.” (Rom. 4:21 Phillips)

Paul also said of Abraham, “No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God.” (Rom. 4:20 Amp) His words of praise strengthened his faith, connecting Him to God’s power.

And what of Paul? Didn’t he endure horrendous afflictions?

He said, “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but not crushed and broken. We are perplexed because we don’t know why things happen as they do, but we don’t give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. These bodies of ours are constantly facing death just as Jesus did; so it is clear to all that it is only the living Christ within [who keeps us safe]. Yes, we live under constant danger to our lives because we serve the Lord, but this gives us constant opportunities to show forth the power of Jesus Christ within our dying bodies.” (2 Cor. 4:8-11TLB)

What is your attitude as you endure your trials? Do you hide in the cellar of doubt and worry or hang out in the attic of praise and gratitude? Do you give up or rest in the power of God? Are you a spiritual victim or victor?

Does Jesus say to you, as He did to Peter when he began to be overwhelmed by the waves, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matt. 14:31b NKJV) Or does He say to you as He did to the woman that came to Him on behalf of her demon-possessed daughter, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire”? (Matt. 15:28 NKJV)

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” (Heb. 12:1-2a NKJV)

As you look to the Lord in your time of trouble, may He complete and perfect your faith that you may be a spiritual victor.

5) Instruction

Do we seek the Lord’s presents or His presence? Do we follow after Jesus merely seeking something from Him as the multitudes did? Or do we lean upon His breast as John the beloved did, just to be near Him, to hear His precious heart beat? Or do we sit at His feet as Mary did, just to serve Him in worship by pouring out our thanks and our tears as fragrant oil upon His body?

Much of the time when we pray, we rush into the Throne Room handing God a list of the things we want or think we need. We don’t stay long enough or sit still long enough to listen to what He has to say. God does not have carryout service like a drive-through Taco Bell, and we don’t get to return what we receive if it isn’t prepared and served to us the way we want it or as fast as we like it.

To ready ourselves for the day, we eat, shower, get dressed, brush our teeth, even read the newspaper or watch the news on TV, but then we leave out the most important part of the day: our fellowship with the Lord.

Do you spend time with the Love of your life in the morning? God will not jerk you out of bed in the morning to get you to pray. It’s up to you. Don’t steal the day out of His hands. Give Him time to speak to you. He is the only One Who can make the day go as it should. He waits for you to join Him in that inner holy of holies.

Solomon said, “Through lowering of hands, the house leaks.” (Eccl. 10:18b Masoretic Text) Though he was referring to being physically lazy, this same slackness applies to our spiritual house as well, for if through negligence or idleness we lower our hands from lack of prayer and praise, then, according to definition, the house begins to weep.

If you’ve been reading along in this series, you saw before that God inspired men to write His Word. I used the familiar scripture, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:16 NKJV)

According to some of the definitions of the key words in this verse, God’s inspired Word is profitable or useful for learning, conviction of sin, correction of error, restoration or bringing to an upright state again, and improvement.

‘Instruction’ means to give or impart knowledge, for training, disciplinary correction, chastening, nurturing, and instruction which aims at the increase of virtue.

If laziness strikes, causing our hands to lower to do all the things listed on our schedules rather than gently nestling the Word in our hands for prayer, what have we gained?
If God’s Word is to bring about the learning of His heart’s desire for us, conviction, correction, restoration, and improvement in our lives, and if we do not read and study it, how will God’s ultimate purpose for our lives be fulfilled?

As I said in my last post, the Word is the divine influence exerted upon the spirit and heart of man for the enhancement of righteousness, as verse 17 adds, “…that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

How can the seed of the Word accomplish a transformation in our lives if there is no planting? How will it furnish us completely, equipping us for every good work, bringing a harvest?

Do you allow time for God to speak to you, to give you instruction for righteousness, to comfort you, to fill you with His presence?

When the swelling of our calendars and our self-sufficiency keep us from spending enough time in the inner recesses of our prayer closet, nothing we claim in God’s Word will be accomplished.

The Still Small Voice has no destination if there is no listening ear. If we do not listen, scripture says, “God has no use for the prayers of the people who won’t listen to Him.” (Prov. 28:9 Msg) Do you blame Him? He says, “Oh, that My people would listen to Me.” (Ps. 81:13a NKJV)

It only costs us our time to listen but it costs us our quality of life not to listen!

Companionship with the Lord with its soul-rest, with its comfort, with its instruction, is too often sacrificed for petition.

May you sit adoringly at His feet to be instructed in His Word.

~~Blessings, Lynn~~