Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Bible Text: Romans 5:3-5 NLT “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”
Memory Verse: Hebrews 12:7 NLT “As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father?”
How many of us really believe some of the positive declarations and affirmations we make? For example, we end up in a church prayer group and start praying for a testimony without knowing that your testimony is your way of telling to the world that God has moved you from point A to B. To testify means you are a witness to something and unless you are giving a false testimony, you can only testify to something if you were in or in close proximity to the occurrence when it happened.
Who can tell a testimony than a person in the situation? People like Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, will gladly testify to the process of waiting on God for a child and the experiences they had in the process of waiting. Ask Noah, and he will testify to the flood that wiped the earth. Ask Moses and he will testify of the journey from Egypt to the promise land. Unless you have endured a process successfully, you may not be in a position to give a reliable or accurate testimony.
Almost everybody wants to testify and unless God gives you an instant miracle, there are certain processes you might have to go through before breakthrough and some of them may be unpleasant, painful and long. In light of this, there is joy at the end but are you able to hold unto the promise of God during those trying times?
When Abraham and Sarah wanted a child from God, although they tried, Sarah could not endure anymore hence she gave her maid to Abraham so she could bear him a child, a decision she later regretted and masterminded how to get rid of both mother and child. The same instance repeated itself when Rachel could not have a child for her husband Jacob.
While it’s difficult to endure the situations you may find yourself in, often the shortcut we take are usually not worth the stress. Hannah was focused on her prayers while praying for a child from the Lord. The consistency in Hannah’s visit to Shiloh meant she continued to endure the process that led to her great testimony about the goodness of God.
I don’t know what’s your mind is telling you right now but life is full of a lot of waiting. Often the best things are to be waited for with trust in God. Your waiting time is your learning time and unless you patiently endure, you may miss out on the series testimonies coming your way.
You must trust God enough that even though you can’t see what He’s doing, He always has your best interest at heart. Endurance while waiting does not change the end result and your testimony. The time you spend waiting on the Lord with endurance processes you, it changes who you are at the end of the trial often to a better version of you.
Prayers:
- Father I thank you for another wonderful day, thank you for your unlimited grace.
- I pray for the grace to endure today and the ability to exercise patience on you
- Help me not to hurry or have a plan B, and in that answer me speedily o Lord.
- Help me to fully acknowledge You for direction, live above fear of uncertainties and grant me the boldness to see beyond all impossibilities
- Forgive my iniquities Lord and let your mercy prevail over judgement
- Thank you Father and in Jesus Name I Pray, Amen.
I’m reading the YouVersion plan ‘Bible in One Year 2020 With Nicky Gumbel’. Check it out by clicking on the caption below.
