Perseverance

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD (Psalm 27:4).

I hate to wait—don’t you? I want what I want when I want it—sort of like everyone else in America. I have never been good at waiting, and just when I think I’m improving, I get thrown back into one of life’s many challenges.

The apostle Paul, said, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation. . . .” (— Philippians 4:12).

Paul was speaking from experience.

In that culture there were secret, exclusive clubs. When a man was invited to join, he had to complete a series of secret initiations. He would be given something to do—but it was a secret—he could tell no one. When he had completed enough initiations to satisfy the demands of the club, he was allowed to join. Paul was saying that he had been secretly initiated into God’s “Contentment Club.”

What were Paul’s secret initiations? He had worked harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged with thirty-nine lashes five different times, beaten with a rod three times, stoned once (left for dead), shipwrecked, spent a night and day in the open sea, gone without sleep, food, and water, and exposed to death again and again (II Corinthians 11:21-20).

And if this wasn’t enough, Paul was given a thorn in the flesh, a messenger from Satan—that tormented him. Paul pleaded with God three times to remove the thorn, but God said to him,

“My grace is sufficient for you, My power is made perfect in weakness” (— II Corinthians 12:7-10).

We want patience, but we don’t want to wait for it. We want all of the good things that God has to offer but we don’t want to suffer or pay the price for them. Fortunately for all of us, that isn’t the way God leads.

Sometimes He leads through fiery trials; “Do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed” (— I Pet. 4:12-13).

I wonder if it’s significant that in context, both of these passages are dealing with pride. Since God hates pride, and we seem to gravitate towards it, perhaps it is possible to avoid some of our trials if we work at keeping our hearts humble? God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (I Pet. 5:5).

Whether our trials are caused by something in our lives, or God has a specific lesson for us, we should not want to miss the lesson. According to chapters one and two of Job, Satan reports to God on a regular basis and he must ask permission before he can afflict our family, our finances or us.

God sets boundaries and Satan must operate within those boundaries. God allows our adversity for His glory and our good. At the end of Job’s trial, God prospered him twice as much as he had prospered before (Job 42:10).

God has rich blessings in store for us—if we endure patiently. We don’t want to be like the Israelites, who rebelled and complained against the Lord’s direction and spent the rest of their lives in the desert. They never entered the rest God had for them. Rebelling and complaining against the Lord’s leading is unbelief and will keep us from rest.

The Scripture tells us, Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? And to whom did God swear that they were not able to enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief (Hebrews 3:16-19).

There was a time when I found myself in a very trying circumstance that seemed to go on and on—and on! I had been asking God to deliver me for quite some time, but I became tired of waiting.

One morning I journaled a prayer for deliverance. I dumped it all on God—again. As I began to get ready for work that morning I heard the Lord speak very clearly to my heart, “You’re praying the wrong prayer.” I should have been praying for strength to endure, for growth, to give honor during my trial, and most importantly, to offer God a sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 13:15).

I immediately repented, but unfortunately, I didn’t heed the Lord. I didn’t wait too much longer, and then I got myself out of the situation. Alas, instead of persevering and reaping the blessings from being obedient, I have endured the consequences of my actions. Like Jonah, I ran from God’s instructions! But also like Jonah, I paid for my rebellion.

Yes—going against God’s commands is rebellion!

When Jonah rebelled against the Lord’s instructions he was swallowed by a great fish. In trying to digest Jonah, the gastric juices in the belly of the great fish would have turned his skin a yucky yellowish-brown color, and caused the hair all over his body to fall out.

And if that were not enough, imagine the sheer terror of being thrown into the sea, swallowed by a great fish, and being inside its belly—for three days! Jonah must have looked a sight when he entered Nineveh. With no body hair and weird skin color—he must have looked a mess! No wonder several hundred thousand people repented.

So, dear friend, are you in a trial that is testing your faith in the Lord? If you’re not in one, hang in there—one is coming. Trials come to all of us who name the Name of Jesus, Lord. When it comes, snuggle into God’s arms through His Word and prayer, and enjoy the intimacy that only comes through trials. There are wonderful blessings in persevering through a trial that simply cannot be learned any other way.

Blessings or consequences—perseverance is a choice!

As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy (James 5:11).


Further Study
Psalm 62:1
Psalm 25:4-5
Psalm 27:14
Psalm 33:18-22
Psalm 37:34
Psalm 40:1
Psalm 104:27-35
Psalm 130:5-6
Psalm 145:14-15