For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. (Hebrews 10:36) 

 

I turned off my computer and saw a couple of fingerprint marks right in the middle of my screen. I pulled my shirt sleeve over my hand and began to rub the screen. The marks were still there so I used a paper towel and the marks were still there. I grabbed a dish towel and rubbed some more. They were still there but were beginning to fade. I hate to admit it but my wrist began to tire and I had to stop for a moment. I worked diligently for several more minutes to get the fingerprints off my screen. Normally I would not associate this type of task with the word “endurance” but in this case, it took a while to clean my screen. It seems like such a small thing in the big picture. But, in the midst of these kinds of tasks, I sometimes hear the Lord quietly say to me, “Be faithful in (and keep working on) the little things.” 

 

We grow in our walk with the Lord by persevering in the day-to-day tasks that require our patience and endurance. The hardest tests of endurance are often disguised as the monotonous tasks in life. I must admit that I seriously considered just how badly I wanted my computer screen clean. Would I settle for just enough to get by, or would I keep going until the spots were gone completely? Sometimes I think that we are faced with the same question when God begins working on our “spots”. Will we persevere with Him? Do we have the endurance to keep going through the hard times? 

 

The writer of Hebrews mentions more than once our need for endurance. We “have need of endurance” to ultimately receive the promises of God. I wonder how often we get to the edge of the promise land and stop walking. There was a reason the Lord kept telling Joshua to go in and take the land that had been given to them. It took endurance and perseverance to keep walking, to keep taking one day at a time, and to stay focused on the goal. From fingerprint smudges to promise lands, the test for each one of us is whether or not we will keep working until the task is finished. The Lord is so good to give us the goal, and He will lead us every step of the way. However, we must be willing to not only step out but also to keep on stepping forward. 

 

Has the Lord given you a glimpse of the promise land He has for you? Do not stop moving towards it. Pray for endurance and perseverance. The training often comes in the little tasks of the day. Take every opportunity to see a job through to its completion and learn how to lean on the Lord for support and guidance. You never know when the day will come that you take that first step into your land of promise. 

 

When I read this I was so uplifted and encouraged. So often we stop short of the promise land and we miss all that God has for us because we just get tired of pushing. What we must realize is we are never pushing alone, God is always right beside us helping us and even carrying us through our toughest times. Spiritual endurance and perseverance, just keep pushing. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me (Philippians 4:13). Encourage yourself today to never give up, the promise land may just be on the other side of the mountain you are facing. Where you are today is no accident. God is using the situation or situations you are in right now to shape and prepare you for the place He wants to bring you into. Trust Him with His plan even if you don’t understand it. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14). Endure to the end. 

 

Have a beautiful day in The Lord! 

 

Today’s Reading is Ephesians 4:29