Heb. 10:36
For you need endurance in order to do God’s will and so receive what is
promised.
Endurance
is an absolute necessity if you are going to walk out God’s will for your life
and receive what He has given us promise of in His Word. This is not something
people often think about when it comes to walking by faith, for most think that
walking by faith is receiving immediately whatever I am believing God for. But
walking by faith in many things of this life, and especially in relationship to
our entire life here on earth requires that we do so with endurance. As Hebrews
10:36 clearly states that in order for us to do God’s will, endurance is a
necessity, not an option.
This
week I want to begin a two part series on ten things that will help you to
endure. The word endurance itself is defined as one who is unswerving from
their deliberate purpose and loyalty to faith even by the greatest trials and
sufferings. Endurance does not mean we just put up with trials that come and
hope to get through it, it means we will fight the good fight of faith and
victoriously overcome any challenge we may face. In this first of two parts I
will cover five of the ten things needed to endure.
1. You
cannot be spiritually lazy.
Psa. 63:1
O God, you are my God. At dawn I search for you. My soul thirsts
for you. My body longs for you in a dry, parched land
where there is no water.
One
of the most important keys to endurance is not becoming spiritually lazy. To
endure we need the strength of God. We need His insight and wisdom, which comes
from staying connected with Him. Spiritual laziness simply means we are not
taking time to draw near to God, instead we are becoming to focused on fleshly
things and we are not staying connected with Him.
To
keep from being spiritually lazy really comes down to establishing time with
God as a priority every day. If we don’t do so, it is easy to become
sidetracked with other things and before you know it the day is over and we
haven’t taken any time to connect with God. This is why David in this Psalm
declares to God that He would take time to seek Him out at dawn. Simply put,
David is giving us a powerful truth about staying connected with God. Make time
at the start of each day to spend some time with God. The best way to do so is
in the Word of God. God’s written Word reveals the living Word, Jesus Himself.
Even if at times it may only be 15-30 minutes, that time with God will help
bring a strength to you that will help you to endure because you are staying
connected with Him. If we don’t make God a priority everyday, other things will
take His place in our lives.
2.
You must develop and maintain your faith.
James 2:17
So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to
back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead).
Another
key thing to endurance of course is faith. Faith is much like a muscle that
must be exercised. It is probably one of the most overlooked keys to what faith
is and how faith works. Everyone who is born again has been given a measure of
faith. What we need to do is start using the faith we have. Start acting upon
the Word of God knowing it is so. If we don’t exercise our faith it is not
going to become developed, no different than a muscle that has to be developed.
But not only is it important to develop our faith but we must maintain our
faith as well. You may even have a muscle you have developed but if you quit
using that muscle it won’t be long before it begins to become weaker. So it is
with faith as well. Exercise the faith you have and it will help you to endure.
3.
Have scriptures to stand on.
Eph. 6:17
… and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
When
you look to all of the armor of God described in Ephesians 6 you find that
there is only one part of that armor that is offensive, the Word of God. To
have the endurance to face storms head on and make it through those storms you
are going to need to have specific scriptures to stand on. Having knowledge of
God’s Word and then using it as a sword in your time of trouble is a powerful
force to help you keep moving forward and seeing God’s promises manifest in
your life.
Think
about all the times when you felt like giving up based on what you were facing
or dealing with. What were the thoughts going through your mind focused on? Not
the Word of God. When those times come these fiery darts of the enemy are
designed to wear you down and get you to give up on God. A winning Christian is
one who never gives up. They are persistent and they keep moving forward in the
battle. To do that you need to counter those thoughts that are trying to get
you to give up with scriptures that tell you who you are in Christ, what you
have in Christ, and what you can do in Christ. Find scriptures that are filled
with the promises of God. When you have scripture to stand on you have at the
ready your sword to pull out and attack these contrary thoughts. Doing so will
bring great endurance in your walk of faith.
4.
Obey God’s Word.
Luke 21:33
Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will remain forever.
Obedience
to God’s Word is another powerful force that helps us to stay on the path to
see God’s will fulfilled. Just as Jesus spoke here in Luke’s gospel, heaven and
earth will pass away, but the Word of God will never pass away. God’s Word is
the one constant you have in your daily life that you can know will never
change. When we choose to walk in obedience to the Word of God we are also
aligning ourselves with God. God has promised to be strength in our life, but
for us to walk in that strength we need to walk in the light of His Word. God
and His Word are one. Whenever you choose obedience to the Word of God you are
assured of your victory.
God’s
Word has not nor will it ever fail us. God’s Word works, we just need to work
it. If God said it, you can believe it. Our obedience to walk in line with that
Word puts us on a rock that cannot be shaken. Even Jesus said if we come to Him
and hear His Word, apply it to our lives, storms will come but we will not only
overcome the storms but won’t even be shaken by them. That is an enduring power
that can only come through our obedience to the rock of His Word that you can
always know will give you a solid foundation on which to stand.
5.
Draw strength from the testimony of others.
Acts 10:34
Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no
partiality.
Acts 10:35
But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by
Him.
Acts 10:36
The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through
Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all—
Acts 10:37
that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from
Galilee after the baptism which John preached:
Acts 10:38
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who
went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God
was with Him.
Another
great strength to our lives is the testimony of other believers and what God
has done in their life. The reason this can help us to endure in whatever
situation we are faced with is because in hearing those testimonies we can rest
assured that God is no respecter of persons. As Peter stated in Acts 10:34
above that God shows no partiality. What God has done for one He will do for
another. God is not a respecter of people, but a respecter of faith.
Jesus
was anointed with the Holy Spirit and power and He went about doing good and
healing all who were oppressed by the devil. That refers to the fact that what
Jesus did for one He will do for all. Hearing someone’s testimony helps us to
sometimes receive that little extra nudge we needed to keep on keeping on. Many
testimonies reveal that others who have faced similar battles and did not give
up or quit got a hold of what God had promised. So realize that no matter what
you are faced with it is the Lord’s desire to see you obtain all He has done
for you through His redeeming work at Calvary.
Endurance
is vital for us to walk in and walk out God’s will for our life. It is a
necessary part of our walk of faith in seeing God’s promises manifested in our
life. Not everything we believe God for is manifested instantly, and if we are
going to see what God has planned for us come pass we will need endurance to
get there. Many believers who at one time in their life started out in faith
may not realize how close they were to obtaining what God had for them, but
gave up before they got there. Don’t give up on God, just do what is necessary
to have the endurance you need in this life and you will see what God has for
you come to pass.
See You Again Next Week For More “Weekly Wisdom”
May God’s Best Be Yours!
Pastor Darryl Baker
