Endure

Hebrews 11:[27] By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

We can endure because we have met Jesus. For those of us who have met the Savior and have experienced new birth, we can endure because “greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world”.

It also helps us to endure when we become fully aware and acknowledge we no longer belong to ourselves but have a responsibility to God to magnify Him in all things. (“as seeing Him who is invisible”)

It also helps us to endure if we have a vision. A vision you ask? I am not talking about rolling on the floor and foaming and gibbering. I mean a look with the spiritual eye at what God wants for you in your life and your church. Having a goal and moving towards it.

Hebrews 12:[1] Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
[2] Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
[3] For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

We can endure because we know that we are being watched. Have you ever been involved in a competition and knowing your parents are attending just try a little harder because they were watching?

We can endure because we have a Savior to look to. Looking beyond the situation to see the end of it all as eternity at home with the Lord. Jesus endured because of the eternity to come and the salvation His death was providing to mankind.

We can endure because Jesus endured it all for us.

1Corinthians 13:[4] Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
[5] Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
[6] Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
[7] Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

We can endure because we have love in our hearts. We love God, we love the lost and we love our brethren.
Knowing that our lives and how we handle situations impacts those around us and because we love and are loved we can endure.

2Thessalonians 1:[1] Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
[2] Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
[3] We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
[4] So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

We can endure if we have a growing faith and abounding love. We do not allow the situations to control us but rather go forward for the cause of Christ in spite of the situations. These people in Thessalonica had a growing faith and abounding love but suffered persecutions and tribulations.

2Timothy 2:[3] Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

We can endure if we keep in mind we are a soldier. A warrior if you would in the war against the devil with men’s souls in the balance. We can endure if we keep in our mind we are fighting for the Lord and not ourselves. We have indeed been bought with a price. This struggle we are having is one of supernatural proportions and we as Christian soldiers do not for a moment want the devil wo win in our lives.

2Timothy 3:[11] Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.

We can endure because our deliverance is of the Lord. Whether our deliverance is immediate or long in coming it is in control of the Lord. Our deliverance might not come until He takes us home but even this is deliverance indeed from the world of pain and sorrow to eternal glory.
Let me encourage you today to make our Savior proud for great is our reward in the end. Keep your eyes on Jesus and march forward knowing our struggle will soon be past and this rotten world will no longer trouble us and we will rest in eternal bliss with Jesus.