Endurance

Endurance means the act or quality or power of withstanding hardship or stress, the state or act of persevering and continuing existence and duration. What does God’s word tell us about endurance?  In God’s word He tells us in 2 Timothy 2:3 that we are to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.  In James 1:12 the word states that, “Blessed is the man that endures temptation; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love Him.”  Also, in Matthew 10:22 the word states that, “We shall be hated of all men for His names sake; but he that endures to the end shall be saved.”  Did we think when we became a Christian and follower of Jesus Christ that all our troubles were going to subside?  God does tell us in His word that we are to persevere in all things.  We don’t like to endure hardships because it changes us and it can cause changes to happen around us.  We may lose our job, our homes, money and everything that we hold dear to us before the Lord returns.  How many of us will be able to endure the heartache of losing everything?  Does a good soldier in the midst of trouble turn and run or does he have to stand in the midst of the battle?  Will we mumble and complain or will we endure it all knowing that the one who stands the test will enter into the joy of the Lord?  How strong are we in the midst of a battle?  Do we put our faith and trust in the Lord knowing that when we have done all that we are to stand.  Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning.  Saints we don’t know what is ahead of us but we can stand on the Word of God.  We can endure all things through Christ Jesus our Lord because He is faithful and will always be with us even in the midst of the battle.  He gives us strength to endure whatever comes our way.  All that is required of us is to trust in the Lord and endure the hardships that come our way because He who is in us is greater than he that is in the world.  We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.  I am weak but with the Lord living in me, I am strong.  When we cry out to the Father, He will help us endure all things and we will become strong in Him.  If we lost everything as Job did, would we be able to handle it?  Look at Job’s life and all he suffered in the loss of his children, his health and his friends, yet he stood the test and so can we!  Thou art our hiding place thou shall preserve us from our trouble thou shall compass me about with songs of deliverance.  Psalm 32:7