Hebrews 13:8
This lets us know that
God is unchanging and always good, loving, and all-powerful. It can be a
reminder that even when the world changes, God remains consistent.
God
works on our behalf just as he did in biblical times! The same God that intervened in Moses’ life
intervenes in our life. Despite our obstacles, our shortcomings, our fears,
struggles and weaknesses, there is a one that is capable of stepping in and
making everything alright. That one is
Jesus!
These things I have spoken unto you,
that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be
of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
John 16:33
That same one
that overcame the world allows us to overcome that same world through faith in
Him!
Who is he that overcometh the world,
but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 1 John 15:5
Despite
everything that is going on in the world today our reality is this:
God himself is always at work around us, in us and through
us!
God is faithful; it’s recorded in His word just how faithful He is.
This
is what Jesus prayed as he looked up into heaven, “Father, the time has come.
Unveil the glorious splendor of your Son so that I will magnify your
glory! You have already given me
authority over all people so that I may give the gift of eternal life to
all those that you have given to me. Eternal
life means to know and experience you as the only true God, and to know and
experience Jesus Christ, as the Son whom you have sent. John 17:1-3
God
granted Jesus the authority over our life: that we may know
our heavenly Father and with him have eternal life. That we may know God
is the only true God (progressively becoming more acquainted with Him);
experiencing God more clearly and more strongly. [Jesus helps us to
do this]!
We have to trust that God is able; that He is capable of seeing us through each and every obstacle we come against. The only way we can accomplish this is to know God in a better way; in an intimate way; understanding that He is the only one that is in full, complete control. He is the potter, we are the clay.
But now, O Lord, thou art our
father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy
hand. Isaiah 64:8
Some
of us have forgotten our position in God.
God is the potter; we are the clay! God is the one who is at work: the clay doesn’t ask the potter; doesn’t make
demands or give suggestions; the clay is wherever the potter needs it to be. The
clay is patterned after the will of the master.
The
prophet Isaiah understood this when he asks:
(How foolish can
you be? He is the Potter, and he is certainly greater than you, the clay!
Should the created thing say of the one who made it, “He didn’t make me”? Does a jar ever say, “The potter who made me
is stupid”?) Isaiah 29:16
That
begs the question, are we operating outside of the mold that God created us
in? The question should be what
are you doing God? Let’s look at Jesus, he didn’t try to act
outside of the mold that God created Him in.
He knew what His purpose was and he fulfilled it. We should be the same – whatever we see the
father [God] doing that is what we should do.
Jesus said:
.
. . My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the
Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath,
but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with
God. Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say
unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do:
for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For
the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and
he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. John 5:17-20
God
intervenes in our life and molds and shapes us; not just for ourself but
because He is seeking to save that which is lost.
God
seeks out an individual and puts that individual in the midst of the people of
God and then works through him. [God’s
plan is to bring the people of God together corporately].
God
shows up in the midst of our activity (normal traffic place of our life) and
speaks to us and makes His will known. Look at the life of Moses in
the exodus from Egypt:
Come now therefore, and I will send
thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of
Israel out of Egypt. Exidux 3:10
and
Paul:
But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a
chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the
children of Israel: Acts 9:15
Expect
that God will do the same with us today.
The natural or fleshly part of man never seeks the will of God but
God causes us to seek His will. Immediately adjust your will
to His.
God’s
standards are different than man’s: There is a consequence to sin
that man has lost sight of. God says deny self, God says lose your
life for His sake to save it.
There
is a conflict in what we see and what God wants us to see. We need
to make our ways God’s way. This is the only way that we can be
victorious in Christ; that we can fulfill the purpose that He has destined for
our life.
Take
the scripture at its word!
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are
your ways my ways, saith the Lord. Isaiah 55:8
Remember
without God we are nothing, without God we can do nothing. Everything we have and everything that we are
in Him is because
He is the vine, we
are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth
much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. John 15:5
How
is it that we become disgruntled, discouraged, and defeated in our negative
situations, when we know that by faith in Christ Jesus, we are victorious. God
gives us not the spirit of fear, but the spirit of power to endure that which
comes against us.
For God
hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound
mind. 2 Timothy 1:7
Moses’ fearlessness and endurance was that, in faith, he kept the one who is
invisible continually before his eyes.
By faith he
left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him
who is unseen. Hebrews 11:27
We, like Abraham, Moses, Apostle Paul and many others in the bible chronicles,
must remain faithful and committed to endure the journey we began with God.
Therefore,
since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of
every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the
race set out for us. Hebrews 12:1
Like
the biblical giants of old, it takes the love of God, faith, strength and perseverance,
to remain relevant in this journey! A
vital element that strengthens the heart for endurance is keeping one’s eyes on
the Lord or staying focused on Him as the victorious Savior. While He is
physically invisible to us, He is nevertheless revealed to us in the written
Word. It is there, in the Word, that we can keep our eyes on the Savior.
Jesus
endured a great deal of suffering and yet remained faithful unto the end. To
endure means to bear with or put up with. As such, it means “to bear
with" either someone or something -
with
all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love Ephesians 4:2
Giving no
offence in anything, that the ministry be not blamed: But in all things approving
ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in
necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in
labours, in watchings, in fastings; By pureness, by knowledge, by long
suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, By the word
of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand
and on the left, By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report:
as deceivers, and yet true; As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and,
behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; As sorrowful, yet alway
rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing
all things. 2 Corinthians 6:2-11
Or
as a difficult pressure or affliction -
So that
we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in
all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: 2 Thessalonians 1:4
Endurance is a Christ-like quality that God wants to develop in our lives as a
part of our spiritual growth -
And the
Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for
Christ. 2 Thessalonians 3:5
Similarly,
But
that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having
heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. Luke 8:15
The
word of God has to be fully rooted and grounded in our heart:
Now
the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side
are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of
their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are
they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root,
which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And
that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth,
and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no
fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest
and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with
patience. Luke 8:11-15
Because of the hostile pressures mentioned in the various soils, bearing fruit
takes time and requires growth which here requires a steadfast endurance, just
as it does for the farmer.
My brothers
and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of
trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And
let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and
complete, not deficient in anything. James 1:2-4
These scriptures relate endurance to the issue of spiritual growth and
maturity. The relationship of suffering, endurance, and hope in the growth and
maturity of believers is also discussed by Apostle Paul in Romans:
Not only
this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces
endurance; and endurance, character; and character, hope. Romans 5:3-4
Words for “endurance,” are
often used in connection with
trials or
tribulation, but never in the sense of mere resignation or a ‘grin and
bear it’ attitude.
Ø They are often used in
connection with God’s use of trials as tools for our growth and maturity.
“Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that
suffering produces endurance; and endurance, character; and character, hope”.
Ø Endurance under affliction is
also a means of establishing the reality of Christ in a believer’s life or of
attesting to the character of one’s walk with the Savior.
Happy is
the one who endures testing, because when he has proven to be genuine, he will
receive the crown of life that God promised to those who love him. James 1:12
Endurance and patience are both used in connection with joy because
the believer’s endurance under trials or patience with others or in situations
should never be a matter of grim resignation to a situation or a person who
might try our patience. You know; the ‘grin and bear it’ routine where
underneath the grin is a sigh of impatience. Rather, because both are to be
motivated by hope in the person, purposes, promises, and principles of God as
found in His Word, biblical endurance and patience is to be encapsulated with
joy.
By whom also we
have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of
the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing
that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience,
hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in
our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Romans 5:2-5
Rejoicing in
hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Romans 12:12
We are
strengthened and comforted by the Holy Spirit within us:
Strengthened
with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and
longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which
hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Colossians 1:11-12
Remember the work of Christ did not end on the cross! We have
continuous access to Him!
Looking
unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set
before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right
hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2
Therefore
beloved, be strong in the Lord in the power of His might; rejoice knowing that
God is the great avenger and all will work out to those who endure to the end! He is faithful and we can depend on Him.
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