Enduring anything is hard.
In the past I have participated in some endurance sporting events. I have done a few Olympic distance triathlons
and in 2017 a friend and I decided it would be “fun” to participate in a ride
across Florida…on a bike. I am sure I
have never done anything that required more endurance than pedaling, on my own
effort, for 170 miles from the east coast of Florida to the west coast in one
day. Even now, close to two years later,
when I think back to those last 50 miles I hurt! The physical, emotional, mental and spiritual
endurance that ride took astounds me still.
I recall crossing the finish line, seeing my wife and kids cheering me
on and I fell off my bike and wept. I
could not speak, I could not do anything but cry. I was spent, I had given everything, and then
some to accomplish the goal.
I opened my Bible this morning to Revelation. Honestly, I was not sure where I wanted to
start my reading this year. I was
thinking I would start the year by reading the New Testament in 90 days, but as
I laid in bed early this morning the Lord just seemed to impress on me to start
with Revelation. As I came to chapter
two John began extoling the churches.
The first church he spoke to was the church in Ephesus. In the first couple of verses he reminds them
no less than three times that they have “endured patiently, not grown weary.” My mind quickly went to those races I mentioned
above, a new year and the endurance any year requires. I needed this word this morning, especially
as I start a new year filled with excitement but all kinds of unknowns. My prayer for me and for you is that we would
endure patiently, not grow weary and that
we would bear up for the Lord’s sake (Rev. 2:1-3).
It can be very easy to lose endurance. Life is hard, it tends to beat us up and we
can lose sight of the prize as we stare down the long road of life. The call for us is to endure patiently, trust
the Lord, wait on Him. Earlier in
Revelation the Lord reminds us “ Fear
not, I am the first and the last, and the living One, I died and behold I am
alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades” (Rev. 1:17-18).
We serve a God who endured for us and may we, by faith, now
endure patiently…for Christ, so long as we have breath.
May 2019 be one more year of patient endurance…
No comments:
Post a Comment