And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
There are some overlapping themes between Revelation 2:2 and verse 3. Of this repetition, Barnes writes, “There it rather refers to the trouble which they had experienced on account of the pretensions of false apostles, and the patient, persevering, and enduring spirit which they had shown in that form of trial; here the expression is more general, denoting a patient spirit in regard to all forms of trial.”
It is often easier to endure the strain of an intense but pointed trial than it is to bear up under the weight of daily cares. The thing is, we don’t always face the enemy’s spear pointed directly at us. More often, the enemy is slinging stones and arrows everywhere. Satan hates the world God created. He hates mankind in general. He hates the saved. He hates the lost. He hates those who serve God with their whole heart and soul, but he also hates those who serve him with every fiber of their being.
Occasionally, we face a trial targeted specifically at us. Though difficult, those moments are temporary. What is more likely to break us is the weight of time—constant struggle, year after year, with what might seem like little or no progress. Laboring for the Lord while seeing what appears to be declining results can wear us down more effectively than the momentary barrage of attacks.
One of the great reasons to be a constant and faithful student of the Bible is that it reminds us of the end. Progress in the work of God is not measured by the small piece we can see. It is in the finished product that God assures us of ultimate victory.
#FaithfulEndurance #SpiritualStrength #PatienceInTrials #VictoryInChrist
The Long Haul: Standing Strong Through the Daily Struggles
- When will you commit to trusting God fully in your trials?
- Write down one way you can actively trust Him this week.
👉 Join our community in studying God’s Word and strengthening your faith.
To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.
For this and, more than 6400 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.
If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.
For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.
My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org
Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/
Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more
Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give.
No comments:
Post a Comment