Persevere.
Me: (sigh) But God,
that means it’s going to be a hard year.
Last year was hard.
Me: Oh, You’re right.
It was.
That was my brief conversation with God on New Year’s Day. I
wasn’t ready to embrace the word Persevere at first. It sounded too much like
trouble ahead. But, last year was hard. So was the year before.
Maybe Persevere was a good word after all.
I started to dig in to this new word by looking in
Scripture.
…rejoice
in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere
in prayer,…
It practically jumped off the page.
Persevere in prayer…even when I don’t hear any answers…even
when I’m tired of praying for the same thing over and over…even when I’m tired
of waiting.
Especially when I’m
tired of waiting because that’s when I get lax in praying. It’s when I get
tempted to go my own way.
By definition, persevere means to persist in
anything undertaken; to maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles,
or discouragement; to continue steadfastly.
(dictionary.com)
To keep moving forward despite challenges in the way, but
not foolishly. Not without guidance and wisdom from God.
Persevere in prayer.
Persevere in asking for wisdom and guidance.
Persevere in living the way I should as a follower of
Jesus—even when it’s a treacherous road and I’m worn out tired.
There’s more to this word, persevere, than I first thought.
And I have a year of learning ahead of me.
In Christ,
Laura
Photo credit: Freeimages.com
Endurance was my word for last year, and boy did I need it! It's often translated steadfastness or perseverance, so I can relate to you. I pray for an extra sense of God's nearness, faithfulness and love to you in 2016!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a lot to unpack, layers to uncover, in this word this year. May it be a beautiful adventure. Joining you from Small Wonder at Kelly's :-)
ReplyDeletePersevere is a brave choice. :) But it's one that will bring beautiful blessings, I'm certain, Laura! Persevere was a strong word in James 1 that I memorized last year so I have thought of it often myself (and probably forgotten it a few times as well). Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete