Persevere and Be Blessed

Today’s passage is Hebrews 10:32-39.  Let’s go!

Hebrews 10:32-39 (NIV)
³²  Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering.
³³  Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated.
³⁴  You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.
³⁵  So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
³⁶  You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
³⁷  For in just a very little while, “He who is coming will come and will not delay.
³⁸  But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.”
³⁹  But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.

On verses 32-39:  Perseverance is a repeated theme in the book of Hebrews.  To encourage the Christians he is writing to, the writer of Hebrews recalls the early days of their faith when they suffered much persecution, even having their property confiscated and going to prison for their faith.  Apparently they did so joyfully because they knew that they “had better and lasting possessions” (v34).  (It reminds me of that famous quote from missionary Jim Elliott who wrote, “He is no fool who loses what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”)

In a time when his readers were likely tempted to leave their faith or disconnect themselves from church, the writer of Hebrews encourages his readers not to throw away their confidence and urges them to persevere “so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what has been promised.”  (v36)

What can we learn from this?   Remember that:

1.       God reserves His greatest blessings for those who persevere.

2.       You can’t accomplish anything great without persevering through some adversity, and sometimes lots of it.

So if you’re going through some adversity right now, don’t give up.  Persevere and hang onto your faith in Jesus.

Father, thank You for Your encouragement to persevere, that in times when we would rather give up, You encourage us to hang onto You and You will see us through.  I hang onto You today.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!