The Other Side: Endurance Devotional
Recently, I’ve started a new chapter in life. The thing about new chapters is just that, they’re new. You’ve never encountered it before and while you’re excited for the journey, it has challenges that you must face and overcome.
Oftentimes, when we face hardness, we respond with anger and disdain. Some version of “Lord, I don’t want to. It’s hard and unpleasant”, comes out of our mouths or we think it in our minds. But the Word tells us that we literally need to learn the quality/trait of endurance:
Hebrews 10:36 NKJV
For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise
Romans 12:12 NCV
12 Be joyful because you have hope. Be patient when trouble comes, and pray at all times.
James 1:2-4 NCV
2 My brothers and sisters, when you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, 3 because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience. 4 Let your patience show itself perfectly in what you do. Then you will be perfect and complete and will have everything you need
Romans 5:3-5 AMP
3 Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. 4 And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation. 5 Such hope never disappoints or deludes orshames us, for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.
Notice how none of these scriptures promise us that life will be easy. Nowhere in scripture do we see the promise of never having to endure. Quite the contrary - not only do we see where we WILL endure hard times, but it’s almost a guarantee that we will go through some things. However, they make us stronger, more faithful, and ultimately blessed when we get on the other side of whatever we are going through.
Jesus is our ultimate example of that. The journey that ultimately led him to getting on the cross was not even close to easy. It was not fun, nor desirable, and it took all His strength to stay the course and not to give up - surrendering to the will of God.
That’s what’s been keeping me in this new chapter in my life. I was never promised ease or comfort. I was promised to be strengthened by getting through it. Knowing that my Heavenly Father is strengthening me keeps me going and holding onto the fact that I will be blessed by getting to the other side. I hope that this revelation will keep you going too.
Be encouraged.