Are We There Yet?Sampel

Endurance Tests Along the Way

Let us stay with the Israelites for another moment. By now, we know that their waiting season was anything but uneventful. They suffered hardship upon hardship. What was God’s purpose for allowing it to go on for forty years?

When the Israelites’ time of waiting finally came to an end, God revealed Himself to them through Moses. “Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey his commands” (Deuteronomy 8:2, NLT). While they were waiting, God was testing them and shaping their endurance.

God knew what lay ahead on the other side of the Israelites’ waiting. He knew exactly which temptations they would face when they finally reached the wonderful land of plenty. “For when you have become full and prosperous…, be careful! Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 8:13-14, NLT). Nothing keeps our faith more alive than clear memories of our previous tests and failures.

In the New Testament, Peter’s endurance was similarly shaped in a very painful way. Even though he was not aware of it, the time he spent with Jesus was actually a waiting season. Jesus was preparing his disciples for the development of the church after his death and resurrection. “‘Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it” (Matthew 16:18, NLT).

But before Peter could withstand the “powers of hell,” he had to undergo some endurance training. He had to be tested and restored by Jesus before he could arrive at his God-given purpose. “‘Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So, when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers’” (Luke 22:31-32, NLT).

What kind of testing are you facing during your waiting season? What challenges may be waiting for you on the other side of waiting?

Let us be aware of the Lord’s testing and shaping during our waiting seasons. Let us build our endurance to remain faithful when the wait is over. “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing” (James 1:3-4, NLT).