Word for the Day January 8
By: Evang. Cascille Hammack
"You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised."
Hebrews 10:36
James 1:12 says, "Blessed is
the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the victor's crown, the life God has
promised to those who love Him."
1 Corinthians 15:3,4 says, "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the scriptures," Our victory is in what Jesus already did for us and not of ourselves.
Many times our prayers are delayed or they are answered in a way we do not expect.
However, when we are in the valley of waiting for the Lord to answer us or to show us the way, we must not waver. We
must persevere in faith, knowing He is faithful. There is sometimes a length of time we must wait before the Lord shows
us His answer. In this silence or valley of waiting, we must not turn away from the Lord or think He has forsaken us.
Sometimes this period of waiting is a test of our faith in Him. As you are waiting upon the Lord, do not grow weary
then turn back to the world and your own ways. Wait with patience upon the Lord, He will reward your perseverance.
2 Corinthians 4:7 teaches us, "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from
God and not from us." Romans 5:3-5 tells us, "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because
we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint
us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us."
Jesus promised us in Revelation 3:10, "Since you have kept My command to
endure patiently, I will also keep you from the trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on
the earth." Faith and drawing near to the Lord in prayer are inseparable. Hebrews 10:22 says, "let
us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty
conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water." Jesus equates faith with earnest prayer in Luke 18:6-8.
"And the Lord said, “...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? I tell you, He will see that they
get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” We must remain
constant in prayer and not allow our devotion to Christ to diminish so that we may receive strength
to persevere in faith in Him.