Perseverance

Luke 8:11-15 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts lest they should believe and be saved. But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.

So often in my life God uses me to evangelize and minister to others only to see them flat out reject Him. They hear me speak of it, and they don’t accept it into their hearts. They very much have the mindset of “To each their own” and are fine with my faith as long as I don’t try to share it with them. Too often I accepted this answer and quieted my faith around these people in my life. But in these past few months God has really shown me that I cannot be silent any longer. That this was a gift freely given to me and it is His desire for me to spread His word. While I may be disheartened when it’s rejected, I must persevere, and take comfort in knowing that God has used me to plant or to water that seed, that I may not see it bear fruit, but that doesn’t mean it won’t.

It should be a daily prayer for me to be as the good soil. Too often I let myself become disheartened when I don’t feel His presence, Like the rocky soil, I don’t plant my roots in Christ, I let them wither and die. I also become as the thorns, I let the cares and pleasures of the world sweep me away and I forget and I’m ungrateful for what He’s done for me.  I need to pray that I may never loose my heart, love, and desire for the Lord.  

Perseverance seems like an easy thing to me when I have that “mountain top high” Its when I’m in the valleys, when I don’t hear His voice. But to know that God has not abandoned me through my trials. That He is using them to grow me and mold me and to minister to others through my trials.  My faith cannot be based upon my feelings because they’re fleeting. I have to be firmly rooted in my faith in Christ. I must seek Him first in my days and when the wind and the waves come, stand firm in Him.  I must love the Lord with a persevering heart and keep His word in my heart always.  I’ve got to plant myself in Him and His word in my mountains and in my valleys.

I will write out a prayer for perseverance throughout these next 2 days for the challenges that are to come.