Persevere

Jesus Christ is helping me to persevere through all.  Living in Timbuitini, Swaziland has not been easy.  Though it is beautiful, there are times when I am weak and weary.  I am not my own.  I am Jesus’, my beloveds.  Jesus tells us in His Word to come to him and give him all our hardships.  He is the one who upholds me.  Jesus is the one who renews and strengthens.  Jesus calls us to persevere.  Persistent through prayer, enduring and pushing through struggles we persevere.  Keep faith; believe in what you do not see, even if it is hard to have faith.  Persevere. 

We have been justified through faith; we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.  We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.  We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.  Romans 5:1-5 Persevering through produces character and with character comes hope. 

I persevere through relying on Jesus.  When I grow weary (impatient, physically and mentally exhausted) I am learning to be persistent on giving all to God.  A daily surrender and humbling myself before the Lord; it’s not easy.  It’s something I believe we all need to learn and act upon; giving all to God.  Jesus said Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gently and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your soul.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.�  Matthew 11:28-30 Jeremiah 31:25 the Lord Almighty said I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.�  This is a promise from Jesus.  He will give us; who are weary rest and he will satisfy our soul.  Psalm 25:10 All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant. 

Consider it pure joy, 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.  If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.  But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  James 1:2-7

Never loose the hope in the Lord, never second guess his plans for you, or fear things to come, and in times of struggle remember what it say in James 1: Persevere. 

I am weak, He is strong.

His grace is sufficient.

We are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Hebrews 12:1-2

endurance equals perseverance

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.  Proverbs 3:3

You are the God who sees me.  I have now seen the One who sees me.  Genesis 16:13

Monday our team walked to White Mountain� carepoint.  One our way, a man walked with us the whole way.  This man was not just an ordinary man, this man was intoxicated.  (We have talked to him before-when he has been intoxicated).  But this time it was different, we got to share Gods Word together!  While sitting at the carepoint waiting for kids, this man was sitting with us talking and I asked him what a Bible verse is that he knows.  He quickly responded laughing and saying you so I asked him what is Jeremiah 33:3 and he laughed again pointing and saying Call to me� he knew this verse and then I added on and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. Then I repeated my first question and asked, what is a verse you know? He answered and said Luke 1:37 For nothing is impossible with God.  There I was listening to a man who was drunk and high and he quoted Gods word.  We shared scripture back and forth.  The man said I am the alpha and the Omega I said Jesus is the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Revelation 22:13.  Another verse the man said was plans to prosper you and not to harm you� I read Jeremiah 29:10-14 The Lord said I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back from this place.  For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you,� declares the Lord, and I will bring you back from captivity.  I enjoyed sitting and sharing verses with this man who was not sober.  He knows Jesus is the Savior.  When walking back from the carepoint my heart was breaking thinking about this man (he was right there with us, walking back).  Jesus was breaking my heart for what breaks his heart.

Answer to prayer:  I was persistent on asking the Lord to break my heart for what breaks his heart and he did break my heart for what breaks His own heart.

I serve a Great Powerful Loving Almighty Faithful God.  To Him be all honor and glory for ever.