Blog Entries tagged 'perseverance'

Perseverance In Prayer

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0100

"I know that I should probably pray this much all the time," I confessed to her, "but that doesn't always happen!"

Luke 18:1-8

Reference: v.7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? (NIV Bible)

Explore: We all have to make decisions each and every day of our lives. However occasionally there is a decision that needs to be made that is incredibly significant, so significant that you feel it will change the direction of your future. I recently found myself needing to make one of those significant decisions. It consumed my thoughts and conversations so much that I found every spare moment I had I was praying to God asking for guidance. I can remember picking my daughter up from school one day and she noticed that the radio was not playing in the car. I explained to her that I felt like I had been praying every moment I had and so I had turned the radio off in the car so I could pray some more. "I know that I should probably pray this much all the time," I confessed to her, "but that doesn't always happen! But at the moment I feel like every spare moment I have, I'm spending it in prayer." And because of that perseverance in prayer, and because of God's amazing grace, I have felt His loving presence throughout the whole process.

Application: When Jesus was teaching His disciples to pray he told them a parable that showed them not to give up. In our instant society today if we don't get what we want immediately then we move on to find something else. However, Jesus is teaching His disciples to be persistent, even when it comes to praying to God. A lot of people find it difficult to pray to God on a regular basis - I include myself in that category. And yet Jesus teaches us that it is important to continually go to God with our cares and concerns. We mustn't give up too easily. I've heard of people praying for the salvation of their friends everyday for twenty years. Now that's perseverance in prayer.

Prayer: Lord, may we continually bring all our prayers and petitions to You. You are the mighty God, the creator of all things, with all power and authority. May we place our whole lives in Your loving hands. Amen.

What have you been praying for recently? Don't give up. Start praying again.

Staying Focussed

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Thu, 13 May 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Upon looking around the playground he noticed me coming his way and the change in him was remarkable.

Colossians 3:1-25

Reference: v.23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. (TNIV Bible)

Explore: It's amazing how much someone's performance changes when they know someone is watching. I used to mentor a young boy in Grade 1. I was walking through the schoolyard one day when I saw him playing cricket with some friends. He was holding the bat and waiting for one of his friends to bowl the ball to him. While he was waiting he was chatting to another one of his friends and upon looking around the playground he noticed me coming his way. The change in him was remarkable. He cut off his chat to his mate in mid sentence, he gripped on to his bat, placing it straight in to position, and I could see this look of concentration come over his whole face. He knew that I would be watching his game, so he tried extra hard.

Application: In the busyness of life it's easy to only give a half-hearted effort. There is so much to do and so many insignificant, monotonous tasks that need to be completed that we can often try to get by with giving only a small amount of energy. The third chapter in Colossians however is encouraging us to give our best in every area of our life. Whether it is our personal growth, our family life or even in our work we are encouraged to 'work at it with all our hearts'. I think that if we focus and give our best in the small things then it will flow through in to all the other areas of our lives.

Prayer: Lord, You are always there for us. You are watching us and supporting us in every moment. May we give You our best in every area of our life. Amen.

Is there an area in your life where you are only giving a half-hearted effort?

Avatar

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0100

When it came to Avatar I actually enjoyed the second time viewing better.

Jeremiah 48:1-47

Reference: v.47 "Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab in days to come," declares the Lord. Here ends the judgment on Moab. (NIV Bible)

Explore: When the big blockbuster movie Avatar was at the cinema I had the pleasure of seeing the film twice. I am not known for watching movies numerous times as I prefer to get totally lost in they mystery of the storyline. When I am watching a film for the second time I can't stop myself from constantly thinking about the next scene and how the current scene fits in to what is to come. However, when it came to Avatar I actually enjoyed the second time viewing better. Without spoiling the movie for those who have not seen it yet, I think I enjoyed the second viewing because I was prepared for all the destruction that was going to happen. There were so many points of hopelessness and grief throughout the movie that when I was watching it the first time I started to lose hope for the characters (did I mention that I tend to get very involved when I'm watching movies?!) But during the second screening of Avatar I could remind myself of the hope that was to come.

Application: Reading through Jeremiah 48 was like watching Avatar for the first time. The passage speaks of so much destruction and torment it is hard to see the hope in the story. However, at the very last moment, in the very last verse we hear of hope. After 46 verses of pain and suffering God finishes by saying, 'Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab in days to come.' When all hope seems lost God is still there. There are times in our life when we feel like we are going through destruction and grief. There are times in our life when we struggle to find the hope that we need to get through the day. And yet Jeremiah reminds us that no matter how devastating our lives may be... God will still be there to restore us. He doesn't say that He will take all pain away and destruction will never come to us, but He does promise to be there for us and we have the hope that He will restore us. When life throws curve balls to us again and again may we not give up on God but remind ourselves of the hope that is to come. Destruction and grief may still happen but we hold on to the hope that God will be there in the end, with open arms, ready to restore us.

Prayer: Lord, sometimes it is so difficult to see you as we are filled with hurt, grief and pain. Help us to put our hope in You. Amen.

What are the areas of pain in your life? How would you like God to restore you?

Strong To The End

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Looking at the group the coach had chosen they could not work out why they had been set apart as such a good team.

1 Corinthians 1:1-31

Reference: v.8 He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (NIV Bible)

Explore: A coach had set his team a training exercise of running a 2 kilometre track. He had explained the course clearly and told them to run as hard as they could, the whole way, until they got to the finish line. The team obediently set out, working their way around the whole track, going as hard as they could until they got to the finish line. As each member crossed the line the coach separated them into two groups. While the groups seemed random they were not evenly matched in strength, skill or numbers. Once everyone had crossed the finish line and all had been placed in one of the two groups the coach pointed to the group sitting closest to him and said, "This group will be starting our game for us on the weekend." The whole team were quite flummoxed. Looking at the group the coach had chosen they could not work out why they had been set apart as such a good team. They were not the ones who had crossed the finish line first and they certainly were not the ones who had the most energy left once the course was completed. So what was it? The coach answered their questioning looks. "These players that I have set apart are not the fittest, they are not the most skilled or even the fastest," the coach said. "The one thing that set them apart from the rest of the team, however, is that they all ran all the way to the end. Many of you did well in running around the track, but once you saw the finish line you started to slow down. Not this group. They all saw the finish line and kept up their speed, if not picking up their pace, to run all the way through the finish line. That is what sets them apart. They all finished well. That is the kind of player I want on my team."

Application: Finishing well can be a challenge sometimes. Once we see the finish line, no matter what kind of 'race' we are in, we think we can relax a little and cruise across the line. That's not the type of race Paul encouraged the Christians in Corinth to run. He encourages them to rely on Jesus 'who will keep you strong to the end'. There are lots of different 'races' that we run throughout our lives. You might be at the start of a race, half way through or maybe even getting a view of the finish line. Wherever you are at, we are encouraged to stay strong right to the end. Whatever we are doing, no matter whether we're at the start, middle or the end, we must be strong and steadfast and rely on Christ for our strength.

Prayer: Lord, there are times when I feel exhausted and I'm not sure how I'm going to carry on. May I lean more heavily on You, knowing that You are my strength. Amen.

What kind of 'race' do you feel you are running at the moment? How strong are you running?

Scattering the Seed

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Thu, 14 May 2009 00:00:00 +0100

I have put myself out there over and over again never really knowing where the conversation will lead.

Mark 4:1-41

Reference: v.4 "As he (the farmer) was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up." (NIV Bible)

Explore: 15 months ago I moved to a new suburb with the view to start a new congregation in the local area. South Morang is one of the quickest growing suburbs in Melbourne (Australia) as housing developers are building estates on what use to be farming land. Now, whenever one moves to a new area you start off meeting lots of new people. Over the last year I have accustomed myself to contacting many people I have never met before. On top of that, whenever one plans to build a new congregation you hope to make contact with lots of new people who wish to explore their faith. With these two aspects in my life combined I have had many opportunities to pick up the phone and dial a total 'strangers' number. I have put myself out there over and over again never really knowing where the conversation will lead. Sometimes it ends fairly clearly. Other times an unsuspecting conversation will lead to something much deeper.

Application: Over the last 15 months as I have made contact with so many new people I have been reminded of this parable that Jesus told. The farmer goes out and scatters the seed amongst different soils. Every time I pick up the phone and call someone I've never met before, it reminds me of the farmer scattering the seed. I'm never sure if the person I'm calling is going to be the path, the rocky place, the thorny ground or the good soil. Sometimes I'm expecting the rocky place but it ends up being good soil. Sometimes I'm expecting good soil but it ends up being thorny ground. I'm never really sure. But this parable has been an encouragement to me. Every time I grow weary of meeting someone new or picking up the phone again, I think of this parable. And the hope of scattering seed on the good soil gives me strength to keep going.

Prayer: Lord, we never know how others will perceive us. Help us to be persistent in keeping our light shining for You. Amen.

In what area are you struggling to scatter the seed for God?

Continual Encouragement

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Often when you come to a familiar passage like this you often think, what more can I gain from these words? Haven't I heard them all before?

1 Thessalonians 4.1-12

Reference: v.1 Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. (NIV Bible)

Explore: The other day I preached a sermon on the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25.31-46). This is where the Son of Man returns and separates the nations like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. Because those like sheep had given food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, invited in the stranger, given to those needing clothes, and visited the sick and inprisoned they received eternal inheritance. Whereas those like the goats, who had not helped one of the least of these entered into eternal punishment.
This passage would have to be up there with some of the most popular passages to preach on. I think it would have to be beaten by the Christmas and Easter story, and possibly overtaken by the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son. However this passage far exceeds the scripture where God instructs the Israelites on how to cleanse themselves from mildew!!
Often when you come to a familiar passage like this you often think, what more can I gain from these words? Haven't I heard them all before? And then I read these words of encouragement from Paul as he writes to the Thessalonians. He already knows that they are being obedient to his instructions but he continues to urge and encourage them to keep going.

Application: So often we forget to keep the encouragement going. We notice something positive about someone, or their obedience to instruction and we may mention it once or twice. But then we just come to expect that they will always be good. This passage is a great reminder to us to continually encourage and support people through their journeys. A one-off pat on the back is good, but it is so much better if we can continually build each other up.

Prayer: Lord, you sent Your Spirit to be with us always. You are a constant encouragement to each of us. Thank you. Amen.

Who is someone in your life that needs encouragement today?

Credit For Perseverance

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Whenever my daughter and I actually get the chance to watch a TV show at the same time we often argue over who gets to use the remote (I believe we are not alone in this predicament).

Matthew 27.57-66

Reference: v.66 So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard. (NIV Bible)

Explore: My daughter and I have a few shows that we like to watch together. However whenever we do actually get the chance to watch them at the same time we often argue over who gets to use the remote (I believe we are not alone in this predicament). The thing that amuses me most is the persistance of my daughter in trying to get the remote when it is clearly in my possession. You see, I am two-times bigger than her in every way, shape and form. It seems that no matter how high she jumps or how wide she stretches I am always that little bit longer than her. While she is persistant, I am stubborn and so we can go for 15 minutes in front of the TV without actually watching the show! What amazes me is that she continues to try to wrestle with me even after 'losing the fight' on every other occasion. I've got to give her credit for perseverance!!
After Jesus' death the chief priests and Pharisees were still concerned that something would happen to Jesus' body, and so they posted the guard at the tomb and put a seal on the stone securing the tomb. When you think of the power, might and majesty of God compared to a number of soldiers and a seal on a stone, it is almost a laughing matter. This is the God who created the whole earth, He parted the Red Sea, He brought down the walls of Jericho. And now they think a few men and a large stone is going to stop him!! I guess you've got to give them credit for perseverance!!

Application: So often we see the overwhelming issues that are close at hand and we forget the awesome power of our omnipotent God. Sure, we can try to persevere without Him but when we work with Him then we will accomplish so much more. It is easy to get blinded by the huge stone in front of us but when we remember that we worship a God who created Mount Everest then we are able to gain a little perspective.

Prayer: Lord, you are all mighty and all powerful. Thank you for loving and caring for us, your humble servants. May we recall how awesome you are each and every day. Amen.

When have you noticed God's almighty majesty?

Surely not I?

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0100

We will often come to difficult situations in our life where we feel that we must face them on our own.

Matthew 26.14-30

Reference: v.22 They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, "Surely not I, Lord?" (NIV Bible)

Explore: When Jesus told the disciples that one of them was going to betray him they all started asking, 'Surely not I?' Those who are well read in the lead up to the Easter story will know that it was Judas who betrayed Jesus (I hope I didn't spoil the end for anyone!) And yet in some way all the disciples betrayed him. Jesus walked a very lonely road to the cross, so much so that even his closest disciples - Peter, James and John - slept while Jesus poured his sorrow and trouble out to God (Matt 26.40). The cross was a burden that Jesus had to carry on His own.

Application: We will often come to difficult situations in our life where we feel that we must face them on our own. There are some responsibilities that we must carry ourselves. And yet, because of Jesus' life here on earth and because God sent the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, we know and have the assurance that God is always with us. It doesn't take away the hurt and the trouble, but it gives us a hope that there is someone beside us every single step of the way. Sometimes, in those dark and lonely moments it's even difficult to notice God's presence. But God has promised to always be there for us, and so we have faith that He never breaks His promises. When you are in the dark and troubled times, keep searching for God and calling out to Him.

Prayer: Lord, there are times when You seem so far away. But just as your love endures forever so too will I continue to rely on You. Amen.

What helps you endure through dark and troubled times?

Fast Food Drive-Thru god

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0100

God is not a fast-food drive-thru god who will give us everything we ask in the quickest time possible.

Matthew 15.21-28

Reference: v.27 “Yes, Lord,” she said, “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” (NIV Bible)

Explore: When you hear a success story it is so easy to focus on the final product and forget about the arduous journey it took to get there. As we head towards the Olympic Games we are all ready to celebrate with our country and with our athletes the great achievements these people have made. And yet we will never fully understand the training, the diet restrictions, the sacrifice and the pain that every athlete would have gone through to get there. We only see the final race. When it comes to our achievements we want to get to the final race without putting in the hard yards beforehand. We have been dubbed the ‘instant generation’: if I want it, I’ll get it now.

Application: We often apply this instant gratification to our faith. ‘I need God to respond, so he must respond now.’ And yet that is not how God works. He is not a fast-food drive-thru god who will give us everything we ask in the quickest time possible. In reality we are often left in the waiting bay for an awfully long time. But that doesn’t mean that God doesn’t care or that we should just walk away after one try. To have faith is to endure through the hardship and look for God, even when He seems so distant. This Canaanite woman had great faith in Jesus. He said ‘no’ but she persisted. Her persistent faith lead to a great miracle, where Jesus healed her daughter without even touching her. Does our faith extend past one disappointment? We don’t always understand God’s ways or God’s time but in faith we persist, knowing that He knows what is best for us.

Prayer: Lord, your ways are not always our ways. May we have the faith to trust You and the wisdom to look back and see where you have been. Amen.

Mundane steps

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 08:33:04 +0100

We must not forget the process we need to endure and learn from to get to our envisioned destination.

Acts 20.7-16

Reference: v.15 The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Kios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. (NIV Bible)

Explore: Have you ever spent long periods of time travelling? The longest plane flight I've taken was from Australia to the Netherlands where we were travelling for 28 hours. The longest car trip I've taken was within Australia driving from Melbourne to Brisbane for two solid days in an old Holden Gemini with no air-conditioning! This was made to feel even longer as I suffer from motion sickness so could not read or write at any time along the journey.
When we go on holidays we tend to block out the travelling and just focus on our intended destination. However the travel component of the trip is essential for us to experience our aimed location.
When I think of Paul's missionary trips I tend to focus on all the healings, preachings, and floggings. However this verse reminded me that there was a great deal of travel in between all these locations. Paul had to go through every day situations to fulfil his mission to spread the word about Jesus.

Application: We are certainly living in a very 'instant' culture where we want everything NOW. We don't want to work too hard for our money or fame or acceptance. We tend to focus on the fame that people have in sport, music or film and think that they just got there overnight. We don't see the training, the auditions and the rejections that they went through to get there. Paul wrote in Romans 'we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.' That's a pretty hefty procedure to get to hope, but we will certainly know hope when we have reached it! Let's not forget the process we must endure and learn from to get to our envisioned destination. May we not demand instant success in our field but know that we will grow and learn so much more about ourselves and about God as we go through the process towards hope.

Prayer: Lord, you promise never to leave us nor forsake us. When we are enduring the steps through the mundane, may we look to you to find our hope. Amen.

Don`t Give Up

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 10:23:39 +0100

Fortunately for the early Christian church Paul did not give up on his missionary adventures as quickly as I gave up ice skating.

Acts 17.1-15

Reference: v.2 As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures (NIV Bible)

Explore: I don't like ice skating. I enjoy skiing and I can get by on rollerblades, but I refuse to ice skate. This dislike for ice skating all came about during a Year 9 school camp in Canberra where our evening activity was ice skating. For the duration of the evening I spent 25% of the time holding on to the side rail and the other 75% on the wet icey floor! Although this was nearly 15 years ago now I still refuse to get back onto the icey skating rink and give it another go.
Fortunately for the early Christian church Paul did not give up on his missionary adventures as quickly as I gave up ice skating. Although he had already been beaten, imprisoned and tormented by the religious people of the time, he continued teaching about Jesus in many different places. Even in this passage he goes back to the one place three times to explain the Scriptures and confirm that Jesus is the Christ.

Application: Clearly from my ice skating example I do not have the perseverance that Paul has. However it is an attribute that is incredibly important in our walk of faith. We will not always be able to understand God, but we must persevere in getting to know Him. We will not always explain our faith perfectly to a friend or colleague, but we must persevere in talking about it when the opportunity arises. We will not always be the best example of a Jesus-follower, but we must persevere in being the best person we can for God.
Not everything will always go our way, that is not the guarentee that God gives us when we become a Christian, however God knows that our faith will become stronger if we continue to persevere through the trials in living for Him.

Prayer: Lord, sometimes we feel so alone and out of our depth. Please give us your strength and wisdom so that we can persevere for you. Amen.

The empty vessel makes the loudest noise

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 16:07:46 +0100

A flock turn on their shepherd even after he has saved them from death

Zechariah 11.4-17

Reference: v.8b The flock detested me, and I grew weary of them (NIV Bible)

Explore: These verses sound very familiar. The Lord instructs someone to save a 'flock' that is heading for death. The new shepherd takes over and saves the sheep but they end up detesting the shepherd regardless of what he has done for them. Ring any bells? It reminded me straight away of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt. No sooner had Moses led them into the desert, they start identifying a new type of hardship and they detest Moses for what he has done to them (Exodus 14.10-12).
When you are in a leadership position, it can sometimes feel like this as well. You feel you are giving everything you have, bending over backwards for everyone else and yet people still turn on you and remind you of the grandness of the past, when you were not around!

Application: In times like these we can often get so down-hearted that we just want to throw it all in. The negativity of the 'flock' is so overwhelming that we can't see all the positive progress we have made. It is in times like this that we must shift our focus. While the flock's whinging may be ringing loudly in our ears, we must remind ourselves to focus instead on the Words of our Heavenly Father. While the critic of the flock may cut deep, the only affirmation we need to strive for is the King of Kings looking down on us lovingly and saying: Well done, good and faithful servant.

Prayer: Lord, help me to see the purpose you have for my life so that when challenges come my way I can still remain focused on You. Amen.

Rock bottom

linda@dailydevotions.com.au — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 16:02:01 +0100

Even during trials we can make gains with God James 1.1-18 Reference: v.2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds. Explore: In this one passage there are so many things that stick out to me, but this familiar verse always seems to strike a cord. The writer of James has clearly endured trials before - maybe severe trials, maybe everyday trials. Yet he is relective enough to see that if we have faith as we go through these trials then we gain perseverance, maturity and wholeness. Application: I would love to be those kind of people who see the positive side of trials. Unfortunately I do tend to become a bit of a God-whinger when difficulty arises. God probably pulls me through the trial just to stop me whinging to Him! This past year seems to have been particularly difficult. It got to the point when the only positive thing I could see was that I had hit such rock bottom that I didn't think it could possibly get any worse!However, putting my foolishness aside, I do know that while sorrow, darkness and despair was terribly difficult to endure, it was in these moments that I found myself clinging to the only One who can restore me: my loving Heavenly Father. Prayer: Lord, it is in the darkness that I truly witness Your Light. Thank you for being there in the good times and the bad, the celebrations and the times of despair. You are eternally generous. Amen.