Hebrews 10:35-36, NLT

“So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.”

When we are working towards something and things seem to not be going the way that we expected, what is the normal reaction of most people? I believe that if we are honest there would be a temptation to quit and cut the losses. For many people, facing difficult circumstances is not something that they desire to do or are equipped to do and rather than continue marching forward, it is much easier to simply give up. But, for those of us who know Christ and who have placed our lives in the hands of the Lord we have a different path to follow.

In today’s verse there are two words that seem to jump out to me. “Patient endurance”. When you think about the meanings of these two words, they are actually very similar things. Patient means to be able to accept or tolerate delays, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious. Endurance means having the ability to withstand an unpleasant or difficult process or situation without giving up or losing hope. Using these two words together truly implies a serious situation. A situation that is difficult and hard to deal with and one in which a solution or way out may not come for a long time. What we must remember however is that these very situations, situations that require us to demonstrate patient endurance, are the very situations that bring about the things that God has promised to us. It is when we go through this circumstance and maintain our trust and our faith in Him that we are refined, strengthened, and built up in Him.

No matter if you are going through a situation that requires patient endurance or you have gone through one in the past, there is one thing that is certain, we are called to maintain our focus upon the Lord. Today, the Lord is telling you that He knows the situation you are in. He is aware of what is going on around you and He wants to remind you that He has a plan and a purpose for it. Do not give up and do not allow the enemy to bring discouragement into your mind. He has begun a good work in you, now is the time to continue to let that work move forward.