Did you know the word “perseverance” appears 13 times in the Bible, all in the New Testament? According to the Bible Study Tools dictionary, perseverance means: “energetic resistance, steadfastness under pressure, and endurance in the face of trials.”
Trials have no respect for each other. When one is working on you, another doesn’t wait its turn. Multiple trials will battle each other to over take your spirit. They can pile up and overwhelm you in no time.
Trials are no respecter of time. Thoughtfully waiting until the most opportune time is NOT one of their attributes. They usually pounce on you when you are least prepared. They don’t care how much time you have to deal with them. While some trials are short lived, most are part of a long journey.
I’ve endured many trials in my lifetime. I must admit on most occasions I haven’t had an “energetic resistance” to them. Many times I have whined and complained while The Lord has drug me through them kicking and screaming. In some instances, The Lord has prepared me ahead of time by leading me to study pertinent scripture in my daily devotions or through a recent sermon in a worship service.
I’d like to share some scripture with you today that will help you to “hang in there”. There are many promises from God in His Word, and I think one that sums it up for me is:
Matthew 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Psalms 27:14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!
Romans 8:37-39 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Colossians 1:11-12 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
1 Thessalonians 1:3 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 6:11-15 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise.
Matthew 10:16-22 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved… “
Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
Ephesians 6:16-19 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,
2 Timothy 4:1-5 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Romans 5:2-5 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
2 Corinthians 6:3-10 We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.
James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
Revelation 2:10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Revelation 3:10 Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.
1 Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
2 Thessalonians 3:5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.
1 Timothy 6:11-12 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Instead of worrying about worldly circumstances and limitations like money, time, resources, patience, willpower, or our lack thereof, we need to put God first and He will take care of the rest. It’s pretty simple when you think about it. If I just do what He asks me to do, then He will take care it. It may not seem simple at the time, but its easier to obey God now before you give up and get yourself into a bigger mess than when the trial initially began. It’s much easier to hang in there and fulfill our part rather than dealing with the resulting destruction and answering to Him when we compromise and cause others to stumble because we decided to give into the world and the worry.
I will resolve to seek Him first even if it doesn’t make sense to the world, and He will provide what is best for me–that which is good for me and will bring Him glory. HANG IN THERE! He’s waiting to fulfill His promises to you!
