Through Endurance We Have Hope

“For everything that was written in former times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and through encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope.” Romans 15:4, (NET), bold and italics mine.

We know spiritual battles—especially long ones—can exhaust even the strongest believer. That’s why we often feel tired. Think about it, most soldiers who experience the fierceness of combat want to get out of it as soon as they can. Just like them, we often desire a break, rest or even an extra push to motivate us to keep going. When it gets too hard, we sometimes even surrender and we give up.

But God’s Word shines through like a beacon of hope, constantly showing us the way towards rest. It encourages us and motivates us to press on, to endure and trust God.

When we feel our souls weary from long battles with persistent weaknesses, we can lean on God’s grace for power because in our weakness, He is strong. (2 Corinthians 6:4–5 and 12:8–9)

When waiting on God seems endless, we can trust God will renew our strength and we will soar like eagles! (Isaiah 40:30–31)

When we have failed in sin, we can trust God will forgive us 100% and will cleanse us from all unrighteousness and He will always remain faithful to us. (2 Timothy 2:13, 1 John 1:9)

When no one sees our work and we labor in obscurity and wonder how much it even matters, we can find comfort in knowing our Father sees everything and will reward our hard work. (2 Chronicles 15:7, Matthew 6:4)

When we get caught in the waves of doubt, we can put on the whole armor of God so we can stay anchored in His promises. (Ephesians 6:13,16)

When we don’t see answers to our long prayed-for prayers, we can find hope in staying on our knees. We will find courage and not lose heart. (Luke 18:1)

When our reputation gets damaged because we strive to stay faithful to Jesus, we can feel blessed in Him. (Matthew 5:11)

When familiar sin pounces again with temptation, we can trust God faithfully has already provided an escape for us so we can endure our temptation. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

When the work or ministry the Lord has assigned us seems hard and the harvest does not look promising, we can feel confident in knowing that in due season, “we will reap if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)

God intimately knows our desires, all of our works and He understands the battles we go through (Hebrews 12:3). Our job as His children require we hold on to His Word with assurance and confidence. God’s Word provides motivation for enduring and gives encouragement as we seek to remain faithful in our commitment to do God’s will. These Scriptures give us hope because in them we see God’s approval of those who persevered faithfully in spite of opposition, frustration and long, hard battles.

How has God’s Word motivated you during difficult times? What Scriptures encourage you to endure the difficult moments in your life?

~Raquel

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