Perseverance and Faith

Today I would like to take a short but powerful look at what is probably the most foundational building block of the faith of Christ, that being the trust that God is always working things for our good, and that he is worthy to BE trusted. I'm going to use Job as the text example here, because his trial was so great, and his trust in God was equal to the task: "Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him" (Job 23:8,9). Have you ever felt that way about some grueling trial that you have found yourself entrenched in? The truth is, everyone who has gone any distance in the service of the Lord has come to that place, though few if any have been tried quite like Job was. Job knew that God was with him, but God wasn't letting him see or feel his presence. No, he was feeling just affliction and pain, and some hearty persecution on top of it. There is only one way out of such a circumstance, and Job knew exactly what it was: "But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined. Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food" (Job 23:10-12). We may not know what is going on, why, or when it will end or how; but we do know the difference between doing the right things and doing the wrong things (Eccl. 8:5-7). Doing what is right with patient continuance is THE ONLY way to graduate from a trying situation, with promotion in God's love, peace, and joy. The apostle Paul knew this all too well when he stated the following: "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us" (Rom. 5:3-5). As did James: "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing" (Jas. 1:2-4). As James stated, the key is CONTINUING to do what is RIGHT, and to not be turned aside by the weight of the trial.

Peter was in agreement with these things also: "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you... But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you" (I Pet. 4:12; I Pet. 5:10). David of old understood this pure and simplistic element of the faith as well: "Trust in the Lord, and do good... Delight thyself also in the Lord... Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him... And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday" (Psm. 37:3-6). And that is exactly what happened in the case of Job, who DID continue in righteous perseverance, despite what his accusers, and very oddly, many today, would have you believe. God was pleased with Jobs patience, and and at the end of his trial he gave him twice as much as he had before (Job 42:7,12). And the truth of the matter is, God is trying to bless ALL of his children with double and triple blessedness, but it is up to us whether we want to trust him for the end result of our trials, or try to take our own way out of them (Prov. 3:5,6). "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28). So then, who is it that really LOVES God, and who is it that is really "the called according to his purpose?" These are one in the same, and the beloved apostle gives us the simple answer: "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous" (I Jn. 5:3). And just for good measure we should always remember the following, because there are times when it may be difficult to do so: "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (I Cor. 10:14). You are NEVER in a circumstance that someone else hasn't been in, and is probably in at same time that you are in it. And the "way of escape" that the apostle mentioned? Well, there is only one, and Job employed it wisely. And so can we by the strength and power that Jesus will give us if we lean heavily on him and continue doing what is right (Psm. 55:22; II Cor. 12:9,10; I Pet. 5:6,7). And that IS our faith and our trust in God. God bless.