Daily Devotional

We do have a great cloud of witnesses who have walked in Christlike endurance. One of those witnesses is Job. Here was a man who lost not one but ten children. He lost all his wealth and his workers. He lost his health as his body was afflicted with boils from head to toe. He even lost his good reputation among his friends and even his wife, who gave up on him, exclaimed, “Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9) Nice lady, huh? Yet, we  are amazed at Job’s words:

Job 1:21 - "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord."

And we marvel at his response:

Job 13:15 - "Though He slay me, I will hope in Him."

No wonder James, the brother of Jesus, uses Job as his greatest illustration:

James 5:11 - “Behold, we count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.”
 
We also could look to the suffering church of the Thessalonians or the churches in Ephesus, Thyatira, and Philadelphia as examples of steadfastness (cf. 2 Thessalonians 1:4; Revelation 2:2–3, 19, 3:10).  And the list of examples goes on, including Jesus Himself, who endured the cross (Hebrews 12:2). After listing out many of our Heroes of the Faith in Hebrews, Chapter 11, the writer presents our call to respond:
 
Hebrew 12:1 - "Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us..."
 
Who are the members our own cloud of witnesses who have endured challenging circumstances without giving up? The more important question is: To whom are we an example of Christ-like perseverance and steadfastness? The principle is clear: God allows us to go through trials not only to teach us endurance but to teach others. Endurance in our lives produces perseverance and steadfastness in other's.
 
2 Corinthians 1:6 - "But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer"
 
Do we want to grow in steadfastness, perseverance, and endurance? Then we need to be around people who practice it and go to a church that lives it. Let their example build those traits in us. Yes, endurance is highly contagious. So is whining! Choose today which one we want to pass on to others.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)
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