CONCERT OF PRAYER

Pray Week 829

“Persevere”

Rom 5:2-5 (NKJV)    …we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

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When we think of what it means to persevere we tend to think of Olympic athletes, marathon runners or mountain climbers. When I contemplate the character produced by persevering I am reminded of a time when my son was nine or ten years old.  His school conducted a basketball skills tournament of sorts where participants from different age groups competed by shooting hoops using various types of shots at certain angles and distances from the hoop.

The crowd became hushed when my son took his turn.  For what seemed to be a grueling eternity, I watched from the sidelines as my son missed every shot.  With persistent determination and steadfast demeanor, he continued through the routine, undeterred by his past performance at the prior hoop and gave each new challenge his absolute best.

I hugged my son at the end of the trial while he received a standing ovation from the crowd.  My son scored zero points, but he touched the hearts of everyone there that recognized and valued the character of perseverance demonstrated that day.

Our Lord, Jesus also highly esteems perseverance.  During our life journey, we all face trials and temptations that place us under severe pressure.  Sometimes the trials seem to last forever, and in spite of our continual prayers, it seems that God chooses to remain silent and distant.  The writer of Lamentations says it all:

…my soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; so I say, “My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the Lord.” – Lamentations 3:17

It is precisely during those difficult times that we need to persevere with persistent determination to worship God and continue to trust Him and place our hope in Him. Thank God that the Bible does not leave us at verse 17.  The writer of Lamentations continues:

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in him. – Lamentations 3:21

No matter what difficulty you are faced with, God will see you through it if you persevere.  Job’s wife told him to ‘curse God and die’ but Job persevered and continued to worship God and to place his hope and trust in Him.  There will be many who will counsel you to ‘give up’ saying that ‘it is hopeless’.  But there is only one voice you need to listen to and that is the voice of the Holy Spirit who will always counsel you with hope and strengthen you with peace and joy.

May you persevere in the power and strength of God’s Holy Spirit.  May the Lord shape your character to produce hope for yourself and for all those whose lives you touch by your life example.