But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. {Matthew 24:13}
We are in a race. Not in a competitive race as they do in the Olympics, or to outdo each other and come in first place at the finish line, but a spiritual race that is as important as winning a gold medal in the Olympics. It’s even more important than any race we can ever run in this world. It’s a race where our end goal is Jesus Christ and the reward is eternal life. There is no other race like it in the world. The requirement is not to be strong or to be fast, or rich, smart or even to be skillful. But the requirement is endurance. Do you have what it takes to endure until the end?
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. {Ecclesiastes 9:11}
I know life is hard sometimes. As a matter of fact it’s not easy at all. If you want something really bad and no one is handing it to you, you will need to work really hard for it. In the process, it can make a person hard-hearted and make a good-hearted person bitter. You will soon come to realize that it’s a dog eat dog world out there. It’s a not a very nice world. I can’t help but feel that as the world progresses to the end times it’s getting worse. With all of these things to deal with how can one endure to the end? How can one even continue to believe and trust God when difficult things arise and nothing is going your way? That’s where your faith comes in. That’s where your time with the Lord and your communion with Him are crucial. You must at all costs protect it and guard it. You must not let anything in this life get in the way of your time with the Lord, because in the end it’s the only thing that’s going to save a believer of God from plummeting down into darkness with the rest of the world. Jesus admonishes us to watch and pray in the last days. He said to us in His word:
And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. {Luke 21:34-36}
That’s the most important element to enduring to the end: talking to the Lord. This is where our power lies in our fight to last until the end. When we’re getting beaten down, when we’re getting kicked and mauled, and when everything and everyone seems against us and nothing is going right, the Lord will be our strength. He will be our strong tower and our deliverer. Because He is faithful, He will not ever leave us nor forsake us. He will be the one to give us the strength to endure until the end. He will be the one to give us the power to overcome our circumstances and whatever that comes against us in this life. He will be the one who will work all things out for our good in the end. Just hang in there and never give up. Just keep holding on to Jesus and keep hoping in Him. Keep your eyes on Him and keep talking to Him. Don’t ever lose your focus on Jesus Christ and you will make it.
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. {James 1:12}
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You because You are good and wonderful. You are our God who is merciful and full of compassion. You will not ever leave us nor forsake us. We need You Jesus, we cannot make it until the end without You. Please Lord keep us today. Keep our faith strong in You each and everyday. Help us to keep talking to You and never give up looking to You, the author and the finisher of our faith. I love You Jesus, and I thank You for Your love and grace upon Your people today. I ask You for Your grace and strength today to endure, in Your most wonderful name, Jesus. Thank You, Father. Amen.
