Faith and Persistence Go Hand in Hand

In Hebrews 11:27 I read, “It was by faith that Moses left Egypt and was not afraid of the king’s anger. Moses continued strong as if he could see the God that no one can see.” (NCV)

There is a strong belief in our culture that if it feels good, do it. That influences every one of us, whether we want it to or not. But when I allow myself to be manipulated by my moods, I am living my life according to my feelings.

But God wants me to live a different kind of life—a life of faith, not just a life of feeling. The truth is, I may not always feel like doing the right thing. But God can give me the kind of faith that persists above feelings.

If I look around, I’ll see that successful people do things they don’t feel like doing. They get tired of going through the motions and want to do things differently. They do the things that other people aren’t willing to do.

I can’t be an Olympic athlete unless I spend the extra hours training. I can’t be a master musician unless I spend many hours practicing.

The same principle is true for being a mature, godly Christian. If I want to deepen my relationship with God, I have to spend time with him, even when I don’t feel like it. Do you know people who really enjoy their time with God? That’s because they persisted in spending time with God, even when they didn’t feel like it.

Faith and persistence go hand in hand. Faith means I don’t give up even when I’m tired. Faith means I just won’t quit. When I’m living in faith, I’m persisting.

Moses was a great example of a life lived in faithful persistence. Hebrews 11:27 says, “It was by faith that Moses left Egypt and was not afraid of the king’s anger. Moses continued strong as if he could see the God that no one can see” (NCV).

Moses realized this important truth: You can only accomplish the impossible when you see the invisible.

God will give me strength to persevere. He’ll give me the power to keep working on the marriage that seems hopeless. He will give me the power to pick myself up when I’ve fallen. He can give me the power to keep going when I’m on the edge of bankruptcy. He’ll give me the power to keep my convictions when all the pressure around me says to give in.

The key to faith is to be persistent. Keep my eyes on God, not on my problem.

God’s power to keep going is always there for me. I just need to ask him for it.

In summary, a belief in our culture is that if it feels good, do it. That influences every one of us, whether we want it to or not. But when I allow myself to be manipulated by my moods, I am living my life according to my feelings. God wants me to live a different kind of life—a life of faith, not just a life of feeling. I may not always feel like doing the right thing. God can give me the kind of faith that persists above feelings. If I look around, I’ll see that successful people do things they don’t feel like doing. They get tired of going through the motions and want to do things differently. They do the things that other people aren’t willing to do. If I want to deepen my relationship with God, I have to spend time with him, even when I don’t feel like it. Faith and persistence go hand in hand. Faith means I don’t give up even when I’m tired. Faith means I just won’t quit. When I’m living in faith, I’m persisting. Moses realized you can only accomplish the impossible when you see the invisible. God will give me strength to persevere. He’ll give me the power to keep working on the marriage that seems hopeless. He will give me the power to pick myself up when I’ve fallen. He can give me the power to keep going when I’m on the edge of bankruptcy. He’ll give me the power to keep my convictions when all the pressure around me says to give in. The key to faith is to be persistent. Keep my eyes on God, not on my problem. God’s power to keep going is always there for me. I just need to ask him for it.

True wealth is eternal. So, don't forfeit eternal rewards for temporary benefits. Like Moses, I need to be willing to make sacrifices now for the greater rewards later.  In the life to come, the last will be first, if they got in last by choosing to follow Jesus.