Endurance by Pastor Scott
Endurance – run and not be weary
“They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” – Isaiah 40:31
Endurance (Merriam-Webster): the ability to withstand hardship or adversity; especially: the ability to sustain a prolonged stressful effort or activity (the ability to do something difficult for a long time).
How are you doing in your pursuit of God and “Seeking the LORD and His strength” (1 Chronicles 16:11)? Have you taken any new steps in your pursuit of God in 2021? Have you felt like giving up or giving in to some other pursuit? Have you been able to patiently persevere with endurance in “Seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” and in your goals to draw nearer to God?
My hope and prayer is that we will all continue to take steps of growth, by God’s grace that will ultimately bring honor & glory to God. Let us run this race, the race that God marked out for us, with endurance: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with endurance/perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” – Hebrews 12:1-2
In the book of James we learn the lesson that the “crown” or reward only comes when we persevere (remain steadfast or patiently endure): “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” – James 1:12
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” – Frederick Douglass
Seeking first the Kingdom of GOD – as we continue in the Kingdom of God series, our Scripture study for this Sunday, Feb. 14, considers the Parable of the Sower found in Matthew 13:1-9 and the interpretation that Jesus gives in verse 18-23, the good seed will eventually produce a crop that yields a fruitful harvest; sowers must endure patiently & persistently for the harvest!
“Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Whoever has ears, let them hear.” – Jesus in Matthew 13:8-9
Fruit Bearing Quote
“I know that all my problems come with a purpose. A mission. I know that what I’m doing now isn’t just for me. It isn’t even just about all the thousands of people who might otherwise go hungry.
It’s for God. I’m doing what God has truly called me to do.”
“Learning to give back sowed a seed in my heart that I wanted to change people’s lives for the better.”
Jason Brown (former NFL player, founder of First Fruits Farm, with his wife Tay)
Author of: “Centered: Trading Your Plans for a Life That Matters”
