The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 15:5 that God is a God of “perseverance.” Since God is “love” (1 John 4:8), then “Love perseveres.” That’s what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:7: “love endures all things.” This verb “to endure” is used 17 times in the NT and it connotes the idea of carrying a load, bearing up under a burden that is difficult to bear. In Romans 12:12, Paul encourages Christians to “persevere in tribulation.” So “love perseveres in tribulation.
Jesus “endured the cross” (Heb. 12:2) so the Hebrew writer challenges Christians to “endure” so that we will not grow weary and lose heart (12:3).
GOD – THE GOD OF PERSEVERANCE:
Let us illustrate the nature of God from the book of Exodus…
God persevered with Moses in his excuses:
Moses said: “They will not believe me” (4:1) so God showed him three miraculous signs.
Then Moses said, “I have never been eloquent” (4:10) so God reminded Moses that God is the creator.
Then Moses said, “Send someone else” (4:13) so God gave him Aaron to help him.
When Moses finally appeared before Pharaoh, Pharaoh turned him down and made the slavery on Israel even harder, so the people turned against Moses (5:20-21) and Moses “turned against” God (5:22-23). Moses said, “God, you haven’t fulfilled your promise!”
But God perseveres because God loves.
In chapter 6, God told Moses, “Leading Israel out of Egypt is going to be hard. But I will be with you.”
That’s when God started hitting Egypt with the ten plagues and in several of those plagues, God made a distinction between Egypt and Israel in order to strengthen Israel’s faith.
Yet, after the tenth plague, as Israel was standing at the Red Sea, with the Egyptian army behind them, Israel complained: 14:10-12. Moses told Israel to be silent – to be patient – and wait for God to work. Which He did.
Israel came across the Red Sea on dry land – ended up at Marah with no potable water. So they grumbled against Moses (15:24). But God persevered with them and made the water drinkable. Then God led them to an oasis with a dozen springs of water.
Israel then grumbled against God in the wilderness of Sin because they did not have any meat to eat (16:3). God persevered and gave them meat. Eight times the word “grumbling” is used in chapter 16 but God persevered. He also gave them manna.
In chapter 17, Israel grumbled against Moses again because they were at Rephidim and did not have any water to drink. But God persevered and gave them water.
God led Israel to Mount Sinai and gave Israel the Ten Commandments and several other laws and Israel agreed to be faithful to God twice in 24:3, 7 but then – and this is the major example of Israel’s sin in Exodus – in chapter 32, they built a golden calf and worshipped it. They violated the very covenant they had agreed to keep. God told Moses that He could just start over and wipe out the family of Abraham and start with a “family of Moses.” But Moses persisted and asked God to persist with Israel. Which God did.
Why? Because God is a God of perseverance. God gave them the covenant a second time and when they repented of their sins and built the tabernacle as God had commanded. He sent His glory into that tabernacle so they would know that God’s presence was with them as they prepared to leave Mount Sinai and move toward the Promised Land (40:34-38). God is a God of perseverance. Why? Because God is a God of love.
Think about what Paul had to endure. Enemies plotted to kill him in: Damascus, Ephesus, Corinth, and Jerusalem. They drove him out of Antioch and Berea and tried to stone him in Iconium. They did stone him in Lystra, leaving him for dead. In Philippi, they beat him with rods and put him into stocks. They tried to mob him in Thessalonica.
Paul was shipwrecked, hungry, bitten by a venomous snake, and imprisoned for years without a fair trial. Finally, he was beheaded for preaching about the love of Jesus. And he gained his final victory!
Listen to Paul’s words: “For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory” (2 Tim. 2:10). In that same letter, he wrote: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:7-8).
HOW CAN YOU PERSIST:
Even if you have big dreams, focus on the small things. Your goals should be reachable and measurable.
Know the reason behind your goals and remind yourself why you do what you do.
You may need to rest, but don’t quit.
If you run into a barrier, consider the solutions. You don’t have to beat your head against a brick wall if you can go around the wall!
Don’t be afraid to start over.
Love endures and perseveres. Ask God to help you persist in doing what is right. It’s what you desire from others, right?
Paul Holland
