Persevere in the PresentEgzanp

Faith In God Regardless Of Circumstances

The cloud of witnesses encourages us and expands our capacity to endure. But, how did they do it? What truly allowed these people to make it through their tribulations? Well, the common theme in each of their situations is faith and trust in God regardless of the circumstances. In the victorious, or “good” seasons, they remained faithful to God. In the trivial seasons and in painful circumstances, they were still faithful to God. This is what perseverance looks like. This is what it truly means to walk in faith.

In one of our small groups at church, in discussing the development of perseverance, we have learned this: Integrity comes from trusting God in prosperity. Maturity comes from trusting God in adversity. Both integrity and maturity are essential for perseverance and our walk of faith.

Walking in faith is easier when you are surrounded by others walking in the same direction. A study performed by a Harvard professor claims that the likelihood of becoming depressed is down by 27% for those who attend church compared to those who do not. The same study suggests that divorce is 47% less likely for those who attend church than those who do not. Why do we think that is? I believe that being surrounded by a cloud of witnesses and other believers allows us to persevere more than the average person. Faith in God, regardless of the circumstances, is the common theme in the lives of the heroes in Hebrews. It is inevitable for people to struggle, fall, and fail… but the believer stands up and keeps walking!

Prayer: “Father, we come to You humbly and ask that You increase our faith. Teach us that in both the good and bad You are trustworthy and faithful. Let us persevere and serve as an example to those around us. Although we may fall, teach us to stand back up and keep walking in faith. We love You. In Jesus’ name, amen.”