When Faithfulness Meets Endurance

“What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.”

— 2 TIMOTHY 3:11B (NRSV)

By faithfulness we endure, but it is by God’s faithfulness that we are rescued – his faithfulness meeting with ours. Our faithfulness is by endurance, whereas God’s faithfulness is bound to his nature.

We are persecuted in many ways in this life, whether by people or circumstances, and we have really just one choice if we are to respond appropriately; in such a way as to be blessed, eventually.

This is meaning for life, given that the nature of life is a topsy-turvy one. If we have the resources on-board in order that we can meet the challenges of life with stoic poise, we will no doubt endure, and the faithfulness of God will reign over our situations, now and to come.

Divine Agreement – the Achievement of the Will of God

It is God’s will that we discern the will of God, spiritually, and enact it in our lives, “on earth as it is in heaven,” as Jesus prayed (Matthew 6:9-14).

When faithfulness meets endurance it is a divine collusion, where the will of God is enacted through our obedience toward God and the faithfulness of God to bless us – as both come together at the same time. At a time to be determined, such a divine collusion occurs and we are right in the lap of the will of God at that moment.

This is a cherished position. Perhaps very rarely in life do we find ourselves in a moment of blessing, for a reward of enduring in faithfulness.

But such times do come. And by faith we need to believe that they come. Otherwise it would be no good to ply our faith. And why would we act in faith if we had no hope of a certain thing coming to pass?

We verily need to believe. And we need a hope. If we have hope we can endure, because our faith is buoyed by the swelling oceans of hydraulic testimony. In such waters there is power underpinning our faith-held actions.

Having believed enough to endure the trials we have been called the face, our hope is sponsored by the inflow of encouragement for the blessings received in the name of God.

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There is a divine meeting between our obedience in enduring a trial and God’s faithfulness to rescue us at the appropriate time. This is the moment when the will of God has been upheld on all corners.

The courage to endure, because of faith, and the underpinning of hope, meets with God’s faithfulness and at the right time we are blessed.

© 2013 S. J. Wickham.