In your patience possess ye your souls. {Luke 21:19}
Have you ever heard of the saying, “When life gives you lemons make lemonade?” They’re essentially saying life will not always be roses and chocolates or a walk in the park. It’s probably going to be sour sometimes. It’s probably going to rain, probably going to snow, and it’s probably going to get worse before it gets better. But regardless, get going and moving and keep living! Don’t lay down and die. Don’t give up the fight. Don’t wish it’s over and hand your life to the enemy of our soul – Satan, because this is exactly what his plans are for us: to kill us and to destroy us. He wants us to give up our own fight for ever lasting life. He wants us to lay down and die and give up. But tell him, “Heck, no! I’m going to keep believing on Jesus. I’m not going to give up. I’m going to persevere. I’m going to keep living.” Dry your tears, straighten your back and smile, because the Lord still reigns. He continues to be God of all creation, and there is nothing too hard with Him. If you can think and imagine your way out of your circumstances, He can bring all those desires to pass. He can make all your desires a reality. Just wait on the Lord and watch for His work, and persevere to the end, believing in Him to come through.
You know the secret to life’s triumphs and successes? It’s perseverance. It’s the spirit to keep going and having the grit to say, “Whatever happens I’m not going to quit. I’m not going to give up.” The Bible tell us 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}
Life happens. Good and bad things happen to everyone. Life did not decide one day to pick on you. It’s just the way it is. The Bible tells us that the rain falls on the just and on the unjust. {Matthew 5:45} It doesn’t matter if you think you don’t deserve the trials you’re going through or the affliction you are suffering. The Bible tells us trials and tribulations are going to happen whether you’re righteous or not. So make the best of your circumstances. You can ask the Lord to show you how. He is here for us to help us persevere in this life – to make it until the end. Perseverance is the secret to all life’s happiness. Without it, we will never make it. We will never see sunshine again. You just keep going even when you don’t want to keep going anymore. Remember, you are not alone in this life. Whatever you desire, whatever you want, just ask the Lord. It may not come overnight, but if you wait and persevere and keep trusting and believing in Him, it will. Time and time again people throughout the ages and in the Bible who trusted and waited on the Lord were not disappointed. When they kept on believing on God and did not give up on waiting for Him, He came through for them. Remember poor Job in the Bible? Everything was taken from him, his children, his cattle, his homes, even his health. Then instead of finding friends who will come and comfort him his friends accused him of sinning before God when he did not do anything wrong. The Bible tells us that he was a righteous man and feared God above all. But nevertheless he suffered a terrible trial in his life. Yet, he did not quit talking to God. He kept talking to the Lord and kept asking God questions. We can do the same. We can ask God questions and keep talking to Him and letting Him know our fears and our desires and our longings. In the end God showed up for Job. Job saw God. If he had given up on God that wouldn’t have happened, Job wouldn’t have seen God face to face. On top of that, the Lord blessed him greater than before after he endured all those trials and tribulations.
There are times things will not make sense to us. But if we talk to the Lord and keep seeking and searching for Him we will find Him. God tells us Himself:
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. {Jeremiah 29:13}
Even in the midst of our trials and tribulations we will be able to make lemonade. We will be able to see good things come our way. The secret to perseverance is to talk to the Lord, because He is the one who will give us the strength and the power to never ever quit, even when we want to. You may find yourself at the end of your rope, but if you call on the Lord and wait on Him, He will come and will help you to triumph. If you don’t have the heart to go on and persevere, ask the Lord to give you one because if you persevere and don’t give up on God, He will give you the desires of your heart.
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. {Galatians 6:9}
He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. {Psalm 126:6}
I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD. {Psalm 118:17}
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. {Matthew 24:13}
Prayer
Thank You Lord Jesus for Your great love for me and for dying at the cross and overcoming at Calvary for me. Today because You overcame I will overcome also. Thank You with all of my heart for never, ever giving up on me.
Please Lord Jesus give me the desire today to hand all things to You, to find You and seek for You with all of my heart. Help me to trust and believe in Your great love for me and in Your limitless abilities to deliver me from whatever situation and circumstances I am facing in this life. Father nothing is impossible with You. Help me to have faith in You and wait on You. I ask all of these things Father in Your most wonderful and precious name, Jesus. Thank You, Father. Amen.
Rp2/2018
