Great Endurance Produces Great Reward

Great endurance, produces great reward!

Hebrews 10:35,36 NKJ

35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:

Illus.

Several years ago, an experiment on endurance was conducted at the University of California at Berkeley. The experiment involved placing Norwegian field rats in a tub of water, where they were forced to swim until they grew exhausted and finally drowned.

During the first experiment, the researchers discovered that on the average, these rats were capable of swimming for over seven hours before drowning.

A second experiment was conducted, exactly like the first but with one exception.This time, when a rat was getting too exhausted to swim any longer, the researchers would remove the rat from the tub of water for a few seconds, then put the rat back into the water to continue swimming.

These rats were able to swim for almost 20 hours before perishing.The researchers concluded that the rats in the second group were able to swim so much longer than the first group because of one factor: they had HOPE.

They had experienced a rescue---and what kept them going was the HOPE that they would be rescued again.

Edited from More Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks by Wayne Rice.

Copyright 1995 by Youth Specialties, Inc.

Hope combined with faith increases the endurance level needed to produce the desired change or outcome. Anything less leads to defeat and mediocrity and God hasn’t called any of His Children to live a mediocre life.

Christians are supposed not merely to endure change, but to cause it.

When is the last time that you did something positive and significant for the kingdom that caused a change in your own life? When is the last time you did something positive and significant for the Kingdom that caused change in someone else’s life?

Far to many are running their spiritual race in life without the confidence required to sprint across the finish line! Far too many, say as long as I make it to the finish line that’s all that’s required.

Illus. by Charlie Roberts

Reminds me of the old story of the farmer who rode his mule to town. And just as he got to the edge of town the mule decided he wasn’t going any further. So then the farmer begin to tug and pull trying to get his mule to finish the journey. The farmer begin to plead and promise, anything to coerce the mule to complete the journey. The mule was content with where he was, and no one or no thing was going to change his mind until he was ready!

As we all get older, that “as long as I make it to the finish line of thinking” gets more tempting to adapt and declare in our lives each day that passes by. The old cliché “the old gray mare ain’t what she used to be”

Gets more relatable with each ache and pain of the day.

I like Toby Keith’s attitude in the lyrics he wrote, “ I ain’t as good as I once was, but I am as good once as I’ve ever been!” I think that’s what Paul meant when He said to run the race with endurance, no matter how things may look, feel or seem!

Isaiah 40:31 NKJ

But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

Who are those? We are those, we are they! As we wait, have faith and endure doing work for our Lord, we’re the ones who shall renew our strength,

we’re the ones who shall mount up and or sore with the eagles,

we’re the ones where right here in black and white says, “ we shall run and not be weary, we shall walk and not faint!

When things are going good and life continues to fall in place on a consistent basis, trusting God is easy and our endurance level seems easy too. When challenges arise and things look like they may start, or they do start falling apart.

Trusting God, along with our enduring attitude should still be at the for front, the very first thing we should do in every situation no matter what happens!

Here's why;

As long as we trust God, God is responsible for everything associated with everything!

There is no detail that is not covered when you trust God. That's right completely trusting God, encompasses everything that's associated with your life and makes God responsible for the results His word declares and not you!

Choosing to not trust Him, when you lean to your abilities and understanding. Makes you the only one in charge of the results! And I would ask you the same thing I've asked myself on occasion. How's that ever worked out for you?