Motivation to Endure

Life Happens.

Two simple words that have profound meaning. Every human being faces things in life that test us. Christians and the world alike deal with problems that we do not understand and may not think we can make it through. We look up to Heaven and wonder why it happened or how we are supposed to make it through this. 

"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 Corinthians 10:13

We are put through the fire to make us stronger. If a professional football player is wanting to get stronger, does he sit in the recliner and eat pizza and drink soda? No. He lifts weights to make himself stronger. He has to go through pain to be better. This is no different for life. We have to face the tough times to be stronger for ourselves and others.

"Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." I Corinthians 13:4-7

It is love that can and will endure all things. Look no further than Jesus, who endured all suffering for us, as sinners. We all must find our motivating factor to endure. Maybe it is knowing what God's will is, maybe it is love for the people who love us, maybe it is simply the fact that quitting is not an option. Whatever the reason, DON'T QUIT!

The Amount of His Grace

We were all poor sinners
Doing right in our own eyes
Living a life of heartache
Much tribulation in our lives
Til one day we met Jesus
And our lives finally became whole
Ill never be the same
Since the day I found His grace


Grace can cleanse all
Grace can save all
There is no amount
Of sin that goes uncovered
And the moment you trusted
Your account was paid by grace
There is no limit
to the amount of His grace.


We will never be the same
Since the day He made me new
We have a renewed direction
Telling others of the truth
He gives me peace and comfort
In a world so full of hate
The day of His returning
We'll see the source of our grace.


Grace can cleanse all
Grace can save all
There is no amount
Of sin that goes uncovered
And the moment you trusted
Your account was paid by grace
There is no limit
To the amount of His grace.

Celebrating Victories... BEFORE They Happen...

"Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi. And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah." II Chronicles 20:2-3


The story here has a familiar beginning. The nation of Israel (Judah) is being attacked by a group of their enemies. The difference comes in the remaining chapter. What God is about to do is something He is willing and able to do in any battle for anyone. King Jehoshaphat, a godly king who has a heart that wants to seek God. There were kings before him who ruled their own way without the help and guidance of God, but he was a righteous man and a great king because of it. King Jehoshaphat went before the people to pray and to seek God (wouldn't it be nice to have a leader like that for our nation?). They were hopeless and facing a battle that it looked like only God could win. 


God heard their prayers and sent a man of God named Jahaziel (20:14). He stood up and spoke on behalf of God and said, "Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's. To morrow go ye down against them: behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz; and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the wilderness of Jeruel. Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you." (20:15-17) 


Here we have the people asking God for help and God showing up. But again the story gets even more unique and gets better from here. What is about to happen can only be done by God, and if we as Christians would get this, we would unlock a door that I believe God would keep open - His unlimited blessing.


"And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever." (20:20-21) I cannot believe this!!! They are celebrating and praising God for the victory BEFORE THE VICTORY IS WON!!! This act of faith and trust is truly incredible! What happens with every great act of faith? A great ACTION by God! 


"And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten." (20:22) 


"For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another. And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped." (20:23-24) What happens when we give our battles to God to fight? He wins and we don't even have to get our weapons out. This is incredible! But it gets better.


"And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much." When we trust God to fight our battles, he blesses more than we could imagine. The more we trust God, the more he blesses.