Persevere
Recently in the news we were bombarded with information on the elections, the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, increasing gas and food prices and the lack of available fuel in some sections of the country. What a litany of issues. In the midst of all this, we just celebrated Thanksgiving.
We have officially entered that time of year, between Thanksgiving and Christmas, which seems to go by like a blur. Pause for a moment, take a deep breath and clear your head. Now what I want you to do is recognize regardless of how dismal things may appear, our country remains strong. The media isn’t reporting officials throwing up their hands and giving up on America and that simply isn’t going to happen.
The times we live in are not much different than other times in the history of our nation. There have been times of war, periods of financial depression and recession, seasons of soaring gas and food prices and through it all, Americans have faced the challenges together. No matter what we are currently facing and regardless of what is to come, we will overcome and be victorious because the Lord is faithful to remain by our side.
We are encouraged in James 1:2-4:
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 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.”
God’s word is clear. We will face trials and tribulations. We have a choice in how we respond to these situations. We don’t have to be happy about the problems. We simply must recognize that everything we face in this life is part of His grand design. Don’t just pray one time for a situation. Instead, be persistent and pray “through.”
When we persevere during difficult times, we have a promise from God in James 1:12 that:
“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”
