Thursday, 4 October 2018

Enduring hardship

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Question of the Day: Will you (we) endure hardship?

Answer: This is a question asked in today's reading of Acts.

Acts 14:22 "They were strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to persevere in faith, and saying, 'It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God.'"

Three verses earlier we read that Paul had been stoned and dragged out of the city because he was believed to be dead. That was hardship. We may think we are suffering because being a follower of Yeshua has cost us a friendship or perhaps a close family relationship. The Scripture is clear.

Yeshua spoke these words ...

Luke 9:62 "But Yeshua said to him, 'No one who has put his hand to the plow and looked back is fit for the kingdom of God.'"

Lot's wife looked back. Looking back means longing for the old life before we were saved. We have to value the gift of God. That value has to exceed the pain of our sufferings and persecutions so that looking back is not even an option.

Philippians 3:13-16 "Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself as having taken hold of this. But this one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal for the reward of the upward calling of God in Messiah Yeshua. 15 Therefore let all who are mature have this attitude; and if you have a different attitude in anything, this also God will reveal to you. Nevertheless, let us live up to the same standard we have attained."

Shalom and blessing. R. Michael.