Liena - Devotional 3

Perseverance

Revelation 2:1–7 (ESV)

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.

“ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’

Dear Liena,

I know this week has been teribily hard with the sickness and stomac issues. We pray for you each day for healing and comfort. I’m currently sitting in the Comfort Suites hotel passing some time before Andrew’s wedding this afternoon. Mom is out walking with Ocean Papa. Its a beautiful day here in TN.

I have been really enjoying Ferguson’s book on sanctification. There is some much there! I’m reading though it pretty fast to get an overview of his argument and analysis but I plan on going back over it slowly to digest it and weave it into my life.

The passage above from Revelation came to mind when I sat down to write to you. The Chruch is always struggling in this present evil age and yet Jesus, who walks amoung the churchs, knows, his lambs and thier struggles. Jesus knows the many difficulties that you are facing and have faced. There is some comfort to that. But the mystery and struggle is why is he allowing this struggle and difficulty? We don’t get that answer but we do have promises:

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

Our call as disciples of Jesus is to endure with patience and not grow weary. This is easier said than done but God’s grace is sufficient for this. Walking in faith is difficult to do because we don’t see how our immediate circumstances work themselves out. Rather we just need to keep moving forward on the basis on God’s promises that are grounded in his love, grace, compassion, and truthfulness. Our ultimate promise is what Jesus says to the Ephesians: ‘To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’ Since we are more than conquers (Rom 8) in Christ we have the future promise of the paradise of God. We will eat of the tree of life which brings healing from all pain, suffering, tears and difficulty.

Dear Daughter, may you cling to God’s promises today. Endure patiently in these circumstances with your physical pain and suffering, loneliness, and spiritual opposition. You have a future and a hope. “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”