Last time we looked at perseverance, we looked at some good quotes showing how this quality made ordinary men achieve so much. We also discussed a little bit of background to perseverance. But now lets look and see why it is we need perseverance. Perhaps God knew we would need it!
Let us consider some passages:
"Man born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble" Job14:1
“You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.” Matthew 10:22
“Indeed, all those who desire to live Godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” 2 Timothy 3:16
All three of these verses show the hard fact that life is tough. Certainly Job went through so much in losing his children, wealth, and health. No one can be more qualified to say life is hard than Job. To try to equate what we will endure in this life to what Job did might be extreme. But the second and third verse promote the same idea: life is tough! God knows how difficult our lives can be, and it is no wonder He wants us to persevere.
“For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked stumble in time of calamity.” Proverbs 24:16
I love this verse found in Proverbs. Not only is God placing importance on perseverance, but he is making a sharp contrast between the righteous and the wicked. In this verse God is associating those who do not give up as "righteous." Then He identifies those who do give up as "wicked." What a message. So often we think of the wicked as those who lie, cheat, murder, and fornicate. But God is also saying that whoever does not persevere is wicked. I just find that amazing!
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