Endurance

You can do all things with Him!

We are born with the selfish attitude of “I can do it myself” but Jesus wants to take our relationship to a higher place to impact our lives and those who intersect us.

I don’t know about you, sometimes in the midst of my daily distractions, I can forget Jesus is for me and wants to direct my life. A question for me and you: what attitude, circumstance, or feeling is an obstacle to my connection to Jesus? Take a moment to ponder this question. Talk to Jesus, admit your sin ( the obstacle). Ask Jesus to be your guide to a clearer future.

“We also have a great cohen over God’s household. Therefore, let us approach the Holiest Place with a sincere heart, in the full assurance that comes from trusting — with our hearts sprinkled clean from a bad conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us continue holding fast to the hope we acknowledge, without wavering; for the One who made the promise is trustworthy.”
‭‭Hebrews 10‬:‭21‬-‭23‬ ‭CJB‬‬

“Cohen” is the Hebrew word for priest, Jesus is the High Priest! we have the wonderful opportunity to access the Highest place for wisdom. We are truly blessed.

Here is another Bible translation of Hebrews 10:22 which reminds us to draw near to God with sincere hearts and in faith we can be washed with His pure water.

“let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Mediation Prayer prompt:

Father God, Jesus, Help me to surrender my whole life and family to you. Lord, guide my heart and attitude to be sincere and humble. Teach me to be an example of Your love especially when I feel weak. You give me the strength and authority to walk in Your ways.

Help me to set boundaries for our lives, our families that will be a benefit to their lives. Help me to speak life and truth of our families’ worth in Jesus plan for their lives. Help us not to seek peace and world culture values over Your ways.

I ask forgiveness for placing obstacles in our relationship Jesus. Sprinkle us clean of words or actions that don’t align with your ways, wash me by the blood of Jesus from : (place your obstacles here.. anxiety, fear, unbelief…)

Your Living Water, Jesus washes away our worries if we let it. I want Your peace, Your Words to flow through me to every person I encounter; family, friend, stranger. In the Mighty Name of Jesus, Amen.

Meditation and time with Jesus needs to be daily, even moment to moment seeking wisdom not as a compulsion but an amazing life altering way of life, with our God who knows us, loves us unconditionally and calls us to Himself.

Here are other powerful scriptures of assurance:

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭145‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭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.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Draw near to God and Your faith will expand to a Higher place of peace and purpose. Your endurance is developing strength and character, the hard work in relationship with Jesus will not disappoint. You can speak to Him directly! Lift up your voice, He is listening.

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The set up

There is something about being steadfast in the Lord that cannot be expressed in words. The benefit and reward of our obedience to the plans God has for our life is the path for our destiny.

Many scriptures will talk about the enemy who lies and waits for us to choose a different path.

The mind games are exhausting. Remembering the voice of the One who created us in the midst of hearing all these other voices with lies, is no different than Eve listening to the snake in the garden.

You are meant to be set apart as a child of God not to go with the crowd. Set a personal best time not comparing to others. It always boils down to a choice.

Psalm 27:11-14 AMPC
Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain and even path because of my enemies [those who lie in wait for me]. [12] Give me not up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen up against me; they breathe out cruelty and violence.

I love the scripture in Psalm 27:13-14. Read the scripture slowly and it reminds us that the Lord wants to see us in the land of the living. The other part of this is the Lord wants us to choose the goodness of God. However, our impulsive human tendency wants an immediate sense of gratification. This is where the enemy strikes quick and with repetition.

Verse 14 reminds us we have wait on the Lord and have courage and endure. So what exactly are we enduring?

13] [What, what would have become of me] had I not believed that I would see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living! [14] Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.

Endurance means we are looking to the future with a goal in mind. This is no different than a runner in a race, feeling exhausted, wondering if they’ll be able to run to the finish line.

It takes effort, it takes steps, it takes faith and trust, and hope in the Lord, it takes our eyes off of the people around us, and digging deep into our relationship the One, who lives within us, Jesus!

The One who gives us those final pushes, for the breathing required to finish the race, is the One who gave Adam his first breath.

My question for you and maybe myself: do you want to be set apart or set up? Are you willing to take the steps to achieve a God-given purpose or settle for the enemies plan? Are you willing to set the pace for your destiny holding the hand of Jesus or a world culture that fades away?

Colossians 3:1-4,10-11 TPT
Christ’s resurrection is your resurrection too. This is why we are to yearn for all that is above, for that’s where Christ sits enthroned at the place of all power, honor, and authority! [2] Yes, feast on all the treasures of the heavenly realm and fill your thoughts with heavenly realities, and not with the distractions of the natural realm. [3] Your crucifixion with Christ has severed the tie to this life, and now your true life is hidden away in God in Christ. [4] And as Christ himself is seen for who he really is, who you really are will also be revealed, for you are now one with him in his glory! [10] For you have acquired new creation life which is continually being renewed into the likeness of the One who created you; giving you the full revelation of God. [11] In this new creation life, your nationality makes no difference, nor your ethnicity, education, nor economic status—they matter nothing. For it is Christ that means everything as he lives in every one of us!

Gratitude matters! Attitude destroys! Letting the word of Christ dwell in your heart and mind will lead to being trained for honor in God’s ways. Whether we are baby boomers to Gen Z, we must choose wisely.

Colossians 3:15-17 TPT
Let your heart be always guided by the peace of the Anointed One, who called you to peace as part of his one body. And always be thankful. [16] Let the word of Christ live in you richly, flooding you with all wisdom. Apply the Scriptures as you teach and instruct one another with the Psalms, and with festive praises, and with prophetic songs given to you spontaneously by the Spirit, so sing to God with all your hearts! [17] Let every activity of your lives and every word that comes from your lips be drenched with the beauty of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One. And bring your constant praise to God the Father because of what Christ has done for you!

May we reach the finish line and rejoice in the character we have built with the One ( God) who gave us our first breath. We will never be disappointed, and the efforts will be so worth it.

Giving thanks to God for never leaving us in the race for our destiny.

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