Tag: perseverance

Don’t Shrink Back

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“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, ‘He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.’ But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.” – Hebrews 10:35-39 (NIV, 1984)

“Do not throw away your confidence,” “You have need of endurance,” and “We are not of those who shrink back.” These three phrases packed into a small passage of five verses remind us of a need to persevere. God here brings to our immediate attention the fact that utter discouragement is a very real possibility. Our defense against this weariness is to look forward to the coming future that is completely ensured by our God. Rather than a magical formula or a work of sheer human effort, God’s Word provides the Truth on which to stand. Though currently unknown and presently not experienced by us, we will receive the ultimate promise if we hold on.

“Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay.” Though we wait for the Lord’s return and the justice He will bring, He is actually coming without delay. His timing is impeccable, and He does all things right. Though it feels long to us humans, the time until His return is short – just a little while. With that in mind, be warned by the next phrase of God’s Word.

“But my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” Shrinking back is an action of fear. I shrink back from big spiders and powerful thunderstorms and scary noises in the night when my husband is travelling. However, shrinking back from my faith in Jesus Christ is unacceptable. He is one hundred percent reliable. Furthermore, my shrinking back from faith in Jesus causes God Almighty to have no pleasure in me. Now, none of us likes for any particular person to avoid us because he or she finds no joy in relating to us. But multiply that feeling by infinity to apprehend what it would be like to know that God finds no pleasure in you. The one Person I want to rejoice in my existence is my Maker, Provider, and King. If He does not rejoice over me, I am doomed.

This is precisely why the distinct and direct connection is made between shrinking back and being destroyed. “But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed.” If I walk away from my confidence in Jesus, I walk directly to my doom. True faith is equated with my preservation. Therefore, despite hardship, I will endure. Come what may, I desire to do God’s will now in order to receive what He has promised. In just a short while, I will see Him . . . If I don’t shrink back.

Counting Trials as Joy

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Sometimes we mistakenly assume that joy will come to us on a silver platter, plain and understandable. We think joy looks like worldly happiness. However, circumstances we deem favorable are not the source of true joy. Godly joy is not so thin as to come only when “good” things happen. Godly joy is deep, abiding no matter what things happen. In fact, difficulty may cause joy to erupt to the surface of our soul.

God did not tell us to rejoice when all is going our way. We are designed to rejoice when all is going His way, for He alone defines reality and satisfaction. If I limit my rejoicing to the confines of superficial circumstances, I am to be pitied. Conversely, if I expand my rejoicing to the bigness of God’s transcendent plan, I am blessed beyond human measure.

James tells us to take action when times of testing come. He proclaims, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds” (James 1:2, NIV). We are to consider – or “reckon” – or “count” – as joy the trials that pervade our comfort zone. To reckon one reality as a completely different concept takes will and action. Times of testing come and I am to count them as pure joy; this is unnatural to me. It goes against the grain for me to not only find hope somewhere in the midst of many trials, but to actually consider my endurance of testing actual joy. I guess this is why so few Christians seem to be joyful. We are not rightly applying the biblical, mathematical equation: Facing trials of many kinds = joy.

And exactly why should we radically equate the endurance of all kinds of trials with joy? God gives a very direct answer, “Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:3-4, NIV). Are you familiar with the word “fulfillment”? The entire world seems to be chasing the elusive feeling of fulfillment in life. Actual fulfillment comes at the end of perseverance’s work in our lives. We will “lack nothing” when we have grown to completion in God by enduring many tests that draw us closer to the only One who can make us who we are supposed to be. I am to count the trials as joy because they strip me of all self-dependence and force me to acknowledge the only One who harnesses all of life and time for His purposes (Ephesians 1:11). Joy is the freedom that comes in recognizing God is in control; I don’t have to fear any person, power, or circumstance because God reigns supreme over all of them. As I come to the end of myself through trials and testing, I come to the beginning of God’s true reign in me.

The word perseverance in this passage comes from the root, “to remain under.” God allows the testing of difficult circumstances to develop in me an ability to bear up under pressing problems with the knowledge that Jesus is completing me. He is whittling away at me, so that I become like Him. He is preparing me for my ultimate destiny – an abiding in righteousness in a place God prepares that delivers us from this broken world. When we endure with a faith in God, we demonstrate our trust in His loving and righteous hand. We show we believe not just in word – but in action – that God delivers on His promises. We trust that being completed by the Perfector of Everything is worth the difficulty. In the accounting system of God’s kingdom, perseverance is highly valued. Remember the words of Jesus to His disciples as He explained the persecution they would encounter, “All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:22, NIV).

When trials come, be reminded that we are on the road to perseverance, and the ultimate end of godly endurance is completion. Therefore, trials ought to be reckoned as joy. God is working in us! He cares enough to continue the process of refining us and making us who we ought to be. Only in being who God designed me to be will I be fulfilled in any real sense. Happiness is defined by the world as favorable circumstances; joy is defined by the Lord as His work of completion in me. Let Him work and let the trials come. All the while, use right mathematics and count the tests as joy.

Plunging Up Through a Mound of Dirt

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The kingdom of God is both unstoppable and mysterious. Jesus likened it to seeds scattered on the ground that slowly, methodically, and automatically grow.

Have you ever actually watched a plant grow (without the benefit of time lapse photography)? We could sit with eyes fixed steadily upon the seed for hours, days, and weeks to observe any progress – and still our human eyes could not catch the “movement.” Rather, we plant a seed and go about our days. We do what we can to water and fertilize, but the earth itself does the work. God has programmed this planet to make plants grow; and the Lord consistently sustains all the energy, processes, and products necessary for the curious work of cultivation and harvest.

We humans plant a seed and do exactly as Jesus said, “[We] sleep and rise night and day.” (Mark 4:27, ESV) In other words, we persevere through the stuff of life. We lay our heads down on the pillow at night and arise to a new day. We live out that day, and the next, and the next . . . all the while “the seed sprouts and grows,” though we “know not how.” (Mark 4:27, ESV)

This parable of the growing seed is a comforting one to us. God is at work behind the scenes, even as we continue on through the regularity of life! His kingdom is growing, even if the naked eye cannot grasp its movement. The seed we faithfully planted is sprouting and getting larger, even if we go on sleeping and rising.

Be faithful to spread the Word of God. Be faithful to plant the news of Jesus wherever God has asked. Though your days may seem ordinary, God is growing the seed. How He actually works in a human heart is as incomprehensible as the earth’s toiling with a little seed. Against the force of gravity and plunging up through a mound of dirt comes the sprout. So comes the beginning of God’s kingdom in a human heart once the seed of Truth is planted. Through seasons of sun, rain, cold, and heat grows the plant until the fruit appears. Likewise, the fruit of our investment in the proclamation of the Gospel arises despite obstacles and discouragement. Count on God to grow the kingdom as you plant the seed. Sleep at night knowing He is on the move. Wake in the morning assured growth is taking place. Scatter seed and let God work.

As Jesus promised, one day “when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” (Mark 4:29, ESV) The final gathering of all that’s been planted and grown will take place and bring to light that which developed in such an unfathomable way. Suddenly, we shall realize just how majestic and impenetrable is this kingdom of God. The mysterious working of God in souls we touched with his Word will shine forth.

Keep scattering seed. Continue letting God work – faithfully and in an often unseen manner – as we go about our days in obedience.

Endure

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“And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” – Matthew 10:22 (ESV)

Reality check: Genuine followers of Jesus Christ will have a rough time of it in this lifetime, and endurance is required. Jesus was speaking to His hand-picked group of twelve apostles when He warns, “And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:22, ESV). Yes, God is brutally and lovingly honest with His own.

When Jesus alerted His followers of the persecution they would surely face because of their relationship to Him, Jesus had already been accused of blasphemy and of casting out demons by the power of Satan. The unbelieving world proved ferocious. The people were determined to discourage and destroy the Son of God, as they were fueled by their “father,” the devil. Certainly, Jesus instructed His disciples that we who follow Him will also come under direct attack of the powers of darkness working through people and circumstances. What is the response we are to have in the middle of this fierce hatred? Persevere to the end, and God will take care of everything in ways unimaginable.

My heart is thrilled by the terms our Savior uses here, “The one who endures to the end will be saved.” In other words, the end is not the end; it is essentially the beginning of a real and tangible salvation of our whole being. God saves us now from sin, then we endure through the persecution of the enemy during our brief lifetime, and finally God saves us completely and in all ways from every hint of destruction that sin promotes. As we have been saved from the power of sin, so we shall be saved from the possibility of sin’s damning effects and given the promise of the redemption of the entire universe.

For now, the battle rages. For now, the devil tempts us at every turn. For now, the light in our hearts is scorned by those in darkness. For now, we hear the words of Jesus and realize we must continue to bear up under every evil plot; and we are not alone. When encouraging the disciples not to be fearful in the face of confrontation, Jesus promised that “it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (Matthew 10:20, ESV). Clearly, God’s own Spirit residing in us provides the wisdom needed in what to say and the power needed to keep trekking forward through the forest of wickedness. With the Holy Spirit in us, where shall we find excuse to give in? With Jesus having given everything of Himself on our behalf, how shall we claim we are not loved deeply enough to go on? With the Father’s plan prevailing and ready to be entirely revealed, why should we give up?

Endure to the end – to the end of this age, because the end is the beginning of the fullness of God’s kingdom (Revelation 11:15). Persevere until the end – until death or His return. Can you see it? Can you feel it? Can you believe it? There it is, spoken by the Lord of All, “But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

A Stirring Compliment

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Recently I received a compliment that moved me deeply. I had the honor of speaking to Christian school teachers and administrators at a convention in Washington, D.C., given by the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). I presented a seminar about a Biblical approach to classroom management. The seminar was presented over a period of two days, during four sessions, spanning a total of five and one-half hours; and my accompanying PowerPoint presentation contained ninety-two slides.

The fact that a seminar on classroom management can be so filled with moments of inspiration by God’s Holy Spirit is a topic for another day. Let me just say that the attendees’ hearts were ready to receive God’s Word; and any topic of discussion can and should be driven toward its Creator. Classroom management becomes a lively subject when viewed through the lens of God’s Word. Jesus is the Master Teacher and the Maker of all students. Learning is His wonderful idea in the first place, and He has something to say about it being done effectively and joyfully!

Now we go back to the pivotal input I was blessed to receive. The last half-hour of the final session was going very well, when I realized I had twenty-five minutes to finish presenting the material so that we could all culminate our study with prayer. Part of the last session involved me darting to various parts of the ballroom in which I was presenting as I demonstrated the importance of spending time in each quadrant of a classroom and the vital nature of a “change in scenery” for students in order to keep everyone just a little off balance for an active learning environment. This final stretch of the seminar was definitely as active as the first few moments had been the day before. My energy level was high, and the audience was engaged.

Things were going so well that we hardly noticed that a few other seminars had already ended – ended early I might mention. The last session was to finish at 3:00 pm. However, some attendees of other seminars began heading to the lobby of the hotel as early as 2:40 pm. As a presenter, my intent was to provide instruction until the very end. The delegates had paid money to attend the convention, and many were receiving continuing education credit for the instructional hours of my seminar.

Finally, I began the closing prayer, which – apparently – was put forth with much passion. For, no sooner had I said, “Amen,” than the regional associate director for ACSI approached me right before he quickly began to disassemble the equipment as he prepared for his own departure. As someone who has known and worked with me for quite a few years, his words went something like this: “Well, Shelli, I would have expected no less from you! You kept teaching right up to the end . . . and with such vigor. Even the closing prayer was so ‘right on.’ Thank you for being faithful.”

No one could have wiped the smile from my face in that moment. Even as people in the hallways scurried off, some of my students lingered to talk and ponder God’s work together. And I had received an invaluable commendation; I had been faithful, reflecting the heart of God.

Paul tells us in Hebrews 10:23 (NASB), “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” Yes, we can depend upon our God; He is faithful!

Moreover, the reason we humans can hold onto the Christian faith without wavering is precisely because the One who makes His promise to us is faithful. It is not because of me that I can persevere; it is because of the One who promised His goodness to me. When the apostle admonishes us to keep going in our faith – to endure – to persist – he is sure to tell us why we can do so: He who promised is faithful.

God finishes what He starts. God always keeps His Word. God does not grow weary and desert the cause. God does not wear down when things get difficult. God does not lose interest. God is faithful to the end.

Hebrews 12:2 tells us that He is both the Author and the Finisher of our faith. Philippians 1:6 says that He who began a good work in us will complete it. With our Lord, we “get our money’s worth”! He does not stick with us only half-heartedly; He stays with us completely and vigorously.

When I think about the analogy to my classroom management seminar, I think of it this way. The last ten minutes of my last session were as strong as the first ten minutes of my first session. The content and passion remained unchanged. And so it is with life. During the last few moments of our earthly life, God will be as true to us as He was when He formed us in the womb. Amazingly, though, His faithfulness extends to the next world. Forever and ever He will remain our strength – even in the glory of Heaven. Though my seminar had an ending point, the goodness of God has no limit; it continues into the next life without end. Remember Psalm 36:5? “Your lovingkindness, O Lord, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.”

Thank you, Dr. Hegedus, for a compliment that stirs my heart. When we are faithful to the end, we reflect the heart of our Savior.

I pray today that you and I will be faithful to the end in every endeavor – big or small – and even as we cross that chasm between this life and the next. We can if we remember that “He who promised is faithful.”

A Teacher’s Reflection

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The job of a teacher is mysteriously all-pervasive. A real educator touches not only things academic, but things emotional, psychological, and spiritual. A teacher has a profound task as he demonstrates his life – not simply his brain – to all his students each and every day. Successful teachers are simply amazing, and their work’s difficulty is commensurate with its importance.

Perseverance is a hallmark attribute of the world’s best educators. A dedicated teacher considers the daily sacrifice required to give of oneself on so many levels, and the dedicated teacher decides the sacrifice is well worth it.

God told us in His Word that He is a “God of faithfulness” (Deuteronomy 32:4, NASB). I believe true teachers – in the right and Biblical sense of the word – beautifully reflect this critical attribute of God, His faithfulness.

To those among us who diligently plan lessons into the wee hours of the morning, who rise early to meet tired faces, who stay late to tutor the confused, who stand on their feet many hours in front of a myriad young minds, whose fingers are stained by day’s end with ink and dry erase markers, whose homes are filled with textbooks and notebooks, whose many evening hours are spent reviewing the work of the day, whose mouths are dry before lunchtime ever arrives, whose brains ache for being pulled in so many directions at once, whose heads are filled with plans to improve, and whose hearts overflow with love for those who are tomorrow’s hope; know this: you reflect the faithfulness of our God.

Though your days are both rewarding and wearisome, rejoice that you have been called to be as God is, faithful. Our Creator stands by His people through thick and thin, with patience unending. Our Creator does not abandon His people when they fail. Our Creator sees the best in His own. He strives and strives with His children at unimaginable cost.

Teacher, hold on to the high calling that is yours. Your own resources are limited, but your God’s resources are not. Our faithfulness falls short, but His is perfect. You exhibit His tenacity in your daily work. And when you grow weary, remember that you not only reflect His faithfulness; you have His faithfulness on which to depend.

Is That Hole Really A Portal?

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When disappointed to see a hole six inches in diameter near the top of a thick, evergreen bush of ours; I assumed the obvious defect was the result of the severe winter’s huge icicles. I had knocked from my roof numerous icicles measured better in feet than inches. As soon as the beautiful spring weather made obvious the unnatural cavity near the top of our bush, I became annoyed at the disfigurement. “What needless damage,” I thought, as my mathematical mind longed for symmetry and completion.

Just a few days later, my husband – knowing how I love birds – excitedly asked me if I had seen the baby robins yet. “Where?” I asked. You can guess his answer . . . “In the bush under the kitchen window.” I rushed with my little nephews to see the oddly cute baby birds. How precious they were tucked away in the six-inch recess of our otherwise perfect bush. What a secure nest in which they rested, safely on the inner branches of the evergreen.

So, after all, the annoying hole in my bush is not just a hole, it is a portal . . . to new life. The dark cavity I thought a result of the random damage of winter months was a truly purposeful haven where life could begin.

And so it is with our God of creation. He shows us that holes can be portals. He shows us that seemingly bad or needless things can – in all reality – be entrances to life.

Romans 5:3-4 says, “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (NIV)

I can no more definitively explain how suffering results in hope than I can explain how robins construct sturdy nests with little beaks, or how God brings tiny birds out of eggs and makes them grow.

But I know this, for people redeemed by God through Jesus, behind every dark recess there is the victory of life. For the Christian, every abyss of suffering is truly a portal to perseverance, character, and – ultimately – hope. I have known no suffering not accompanied by the need to persevere; I have known no trial that could not result in increased character, and I have known no heartache that the hope of Jesus could not soothe.

Our suffering is not an inconvenient hole in the otherwise orderliness of life; it is a portal to hope when viewed through the perspective of God.

And, even now as I write this devotion, the baby robins chirp, “Amen!”

Who Is God’s Favorite?

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Students always envy the “teacher’s pet.” Siblings tease about who is mom’s favorite. Employees long to be “in good” with the boss. Why?

Clearly, teachers wield moderate power in the educational context, parents have a tremendous impact during our growing-up years, and supervisors definitely influence our professional lives. But, would you not love to be a favorite of God?

God is sovereign over every realm. Now, I understand that being the teacher’s pet has fleeting advantages, and promotions may come easier when the boss has high regard for us; but what are the infinite privileges of rapport with the One who owns galaxies, causes flowers to bloom, provides breath to all people, and decides just when and how to close out this chapter of human history and usher in a perfect world? I want an advantage with Him for sure!

Hold onto your hat, because favor with God comes in a way you might not expect . . . bearing up under suffering for doing the right thing!

For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly . . . but if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. (I Peter 2:19-20)

And there it is – simple, but not so glamorous. Straightforward and rock-solid, but not fitting the appetite of this culture. No matter, for we know the One who transcends the ebb and flow of civilization, the One who fashioned our soul with His own hands and understands that our heart’s real need is His approval.

Therefore, stand strong. Do right. Do not sway in the midst of fervent attack against virtue. Though the fury of hell comes against your soul and even brothers turn to enemies, be not dissuaded from acting rightly. Allow no excuse for sinful reaction.

Though you are mistreated, neglected, ostracized, and castigated for doing what God calls you to do; persevere with your mind fixed on Christ and your heart wholly yielded to God.

Of two things you can consequently be sure: His Spirit will fuel your arduous journey, and the favor of the Maker and Sustainer of the universe will rest on you.

No one can imagine what glorious reward awaits the person who is favored by the One who tells both galaxies and electrons what to do!

When God Calls

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When God calls you to love,
Love to the end
Because God never fails.

When God calls you to hope,
Hope despite looming impossibility
Because God can do all things.

When God calls you to be a fool for His sake,
Be a fool despite the press of pride
Because God came to earth in all humility.

When God calls you to give,
Give without fear of loss
Because God is of infinite resource.

When God calls you to persevere against all odds,
Persevere despite exhaustion
Because God gives strength to the weary.

When God calls you to live for Him,
Live for Him though it sometimes appears not to matter
Because God fulfills every purpose under Heaven for His own.