Hope and Perseverance

12/12- Hope Enables Us to Persevere-

And we ^b boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we ^c also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope.5And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:3-5)

 And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Thoughts: The story of God’s redemption is not a temporary short fix.  It is a story for the long haul.  This life is hard.  That is why both perseverance and hope are necessary.  Perseverance is required because we are a work in progress- God isn’t finished with us yet.  Hope is necessary too.  Maturity gives us both perseverance and hope.  As we fix our eyes on our hope, we will persevere and not give up.  It is when Peter took his eyes off Jesus and saw the wind and waves that he began to sink [when he tried to walk on water]. 
     Florence Chadwick was the first woman to swim the English channel both ways.  In 1952 she decided to swim from Catalina Island to California- 15 miles. But it was foggy she could not see the coast.  She begged her mother to get into the boat, but her mother told her it was not far.  When they pulled her out of the water, she was less than a half mile from shore.  She told reporters that she could have finished if she only could have seen and had hope.  We are called to persevere and not give up because we have hope.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus who for the joy set before him endured the scorn of human beings.  Jesus teaches us to persevere and trust in God even in the midst of the crosses of life. 

Prayer: Lord, Help me to persevere by trusting in you. 

Song: Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus lay down His sweet head; the stars in the sky, shone down where he lay, the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay. 

No doubt Mary and Joseph were in a fog and could not see the end of where God was taking them or their son.  But they trusted God.