Daily Devotional - Discipleship - WK32 - 08/06/24 - Day 198 “Purposeful Endurance”

Author: Evang. Jamie Hoffman

“Purposeful Endurance” 
Scripture: “Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” (‭‭2 Timothy ‭2‬:‭10‬ ‭KJV)‬‬

Devotional:
I have a saying that I made up a while ago, and I adopted to keep me focused each day. It says, don’t allow the pain of your past to steal the purpose of your present. I sometimes struggle to adhere to it, but I believe God is still working on me so that it will become my reality and not just a saying. One of the biggest tricks of the enemy is to allow us to be held hostage by our past so that we can never fulfill the purpose God has for us. I realized that it is easy to become discouraged if I am focused on the wrong thing, and I take my eyes off of God. If Paul had allowed his past mistakes to hold him hostage, he would have stayed blind and  stuck on a lonely road of self-righteousness crucifying Christians.

In today’s scripture, Paul is saying, look, I’ve gone through some things, I’ve endured some hard times since I confessed Jesus Christ, but I am not changing my confession, because the souls that have come and are coming to Christ are more important than my suffering. You can lock up my body, but God’s word will forever be free.
         
I used to wonder why me? God can I catch a break? However, as I continue to mature in Christ, I have started to realize that for every wilderness and valley experience I had to endure, God brought me out of them stronger and better than I was when I went into them. If God brought me to it, He can bring me through it. Every test I went through became my testimony! My pain pushed me into my purpose! Through it all, God kept me! He allowed me to endure so that I can be a witness that if He did it for me, He can do it for you, you, and you as well!

Prayer:
Lord, help me to endure and keep the faith despite what comes my way. I trust You God! Amen.