Hebrews 12:3 (NASB95)
3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Galatians 6:9 (NASB95)
9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in DUE TIME we will reap if we do not grow weary.

So here’s our path these last two weeks:

Galatians 6: 9 tells us that in ‘due time we will reap’ – in ‘the moment’ we will reap if we do not ‘lose heart’ (give in) and ‘grow weary’ (let go).

Hebrews 12 suggests  that the thing that would make us give in and let go (of hope) is the inability to endure the things that speak against our faith in God and attempt a ‘hostile takeover’ of our faith… of our thinking… or our emotions.

The word for ‘endure’ is often translated ‘persevere.’  So just persevere.  That’s it.  Simple.

I hate that!

Don’t you love when well-intentioned people walk up to you in the middle of a struggle or pain and blithely say, “Just hang in there!”  Then pat you on the back and walk away.  What’s up with that?

(Is there anybody other me that would like to punch them out?  Please pray for Tom!)

However… this quality of enduring and persevering in the Bible is always tied to ‘hope.’

We can’t endure or persevere without hope.  No one can.

So ultimately the question is, “What are you hoping in?”

What are you hoping FOR?

What is the basis of your hope?

We’ll chase that soon.

But for today… just for the fun of it… do your own endurance survey.  Think of a couple people who you know have really “hung in there.”  You know what I mean.  Then give them a call on the phone and ask them how they do it.  Ask them how it is they ‘hang in.’  And then listen…

Listen for the source of their hope.  It’s always there.  They hope in something…we all do.

Soon we’ll talk about that.  Until then… hang in there.

Don’t give in… don’t let go,

Pastor Tom Sterbens

Related posts:

1. The Hostile Takeover — Part One