Persevere

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. Hebrews 10:36 NIV

Have you ever tried to learn a musical instrument? When you were in primary school, did your mum send to piano lessons? If the church had a praise band, did you want a guitar? That way you could join them, after all they sound like they need a new and better player. With a brand new, expensive instrument. Right, now I have a piano, or a guitar, or a flute, or a clarinet…. and the list goes on. Ok so you are ahead of me because you have figured out what’s missing.

Learning. Practicing. Long hours spent when your pals are out in the sunshine, and here you are, stuck in the house trying to bang out “Three Blind Mice” for the twentieth time. It’s not fun anymore. The shine has gone off the desire to play in the Praise Band, or for the choir.

In the same way, if we want to “receive what God has promised” we must stick at practicing our faith. That includes when things are not going our way, and when we have those serious, unanswered questions that we expect from God right NOW! The writer of Hebrews, generally thought to be Paul, makes it very clear that although the gift of salvation is free, we must persevere and see it through to completion. The reward for persevering with your music is great, but look at the reward when we press on in faith for God’s prize. Makes it all worthwhile, doesn’t it?

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-15 NIV