Perseverance

I keep hearing a certain word: perseverance. It came up when I was writing a devotion on The Sower and the four kinds of soils (Luke 8:5-8, 11-15) for the website www.Digdeeperdevotions.com. I saw it again today in a devotion about a blind dog and the lessons to be learned concerning perseverance from another website: www.Christiandevotions.com.

As I write a book on aging, I find perseverance is a very important part of “maturing.” Persevering doesn't mean hanging in there, gritting your teeth and getting through whatever comes along. It means having a source of strength that doesn't depend on physical or mental strength (Philippians 4:13). Our source must be God who strengthens us, empowers us through the Holy Spirit no matter what's happening around us.

God can soften our hard hearts so we can hear Him, God can help us grow deep roots in Him that can't be uprooted, God can cause us to grow as we persevere through the thorny parts of life. God causes us to bear fruit as we persevere. Some translations use the word patience which brings to mind long-suffering—all related. Persevering may seem passive because God and the Holy Spirit play an important role, but we have to not give up.

One of the results of suffering just as others are suffering is that we become compassionate and merciful toward one another. “Oh you have that problem too; I thought it was just me.”

I'm reminded of another verse, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Run your spiritual race with perseverance. There's incredible joy to come!