This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus. (Rev. 14:12)
I wanted to quit—to just give up and be done with it all. I was tired, angry, and hurt. I was in a season where I wasn’t sure that I had even heard the Lord clearly about the call on my life, and truthfully, I just wanted to walk away.
We all know that following God and keeping his commands isn’t always easy. In fact, sometimes, following him seems more difficult than just doing what we want to do and following our own path. And yet, we also know that the reward for our endurance is far greater than we can even begin to understand.
God knew that this world would be full of trouble for us and because of this he gave us his Spirit to lead and guide us, to comfort us and give us the strength to endure all the hardships we would face on this earth.
I didn’t quit in that season when I wanted to, and I’m so glad that I endured. What the Lord brought out of that difficult time produced in me a deeper relationship with him, more clarity in my calling than I have ever known, and a stronger commitment to follow his commands. He is always faithful to us. May we in turn be faithful to follow him with patient endurance.
Are you weary? Ask God to give you the strength to endure.
Deborah Rhodes is colead pastor of Parkside Church in Greenville, SC. She is passionate about studying and teaching God’s Word.
© 2022 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
