Think of all the hostility He endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. (Hebrews 12:3 NLT There are some days that just get the best of us. The moment our feet hit the floor, its an uphill kind-of-day. The trust and obey is more like trials and obstacles. We struggle in finding the determination and discipline to delight ourselves self in The Lord. (Ps 37:4) It feels like the steamroller of discouragement . . . despair and defeat is ready to flatten the desires of our heart. Were weary and worn out. Fatigued and frustrated. Tired and . . . just tired. Its supposed to be better than this. Isnt everyday with Jesus, sweeter than the day before? The writer of Hebrews understood the exhaustion of eluding expectations. The recipients of his letter had waited for hope, for change and for relief. They were looking for the immediate, while God gave them the eternal. The author writes of flawed men and women who by faith forged ahead, never recieving the prize, but resting in the promise. He instructs us to keeping looking to Jesus as the founder and finisher of faith, Who being motivation by joy, moved forward to finish His work. (Heb 11:2). Those followers of faith and the Founder of our Faith provide encouragement and an expample for us to endure. Examine. The passage encourages us to consider or analyze Jesus. We are to peel back the layers of His conviction and confidence to see His commitment. We often compare ourselves to other people, while God wants us to consider His purpose. He lived for the joy that was set before Him. Jesus exhibited joy while experiencing the junk of the day. The psalmist reminds us, The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. (Ps 126:3 NIV) Embrace. Its been said, To compare is not to prove. We often compare our struggles with others and find ourselves short on grace and hope. We are reminded to not only gaze on Jesus, but to get into Him. Once we examine His efforts, we embrace His energy. Paul tells us, Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Heb 4:16 NIV) Endure. Eugene Peterson writes, A common but futile strategy for achieving joy is trying to eliminate things that hurt: to get rid of pain by numbing the nerve ends, getting rid of insecurity by eliminating risk, or getting rid of disappointment by depersonlizing your relationships. The psalmist encourages us, Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! (Ps 126:5 ESV). It becomes our nose to the grindstone effort. Paul tells us, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil 3:14 ESV) We can only endure after we examine and embrace Him. Consider Him . . . Have Confidence in Him . . . Commit to Him.
Posted on: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 11:59:11 +0000
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