Endurance

The other day I was thinking about my life and I started evaluating how much time I have spent doing things that have no eternal significance.  Not that they were bad things but they won't matter after I die.

I so deeply want to please God with my life.  I want to honor Him and I want to shine for Him.  But there are days when I get discouraged.  The days and years go by and nothing truly momentous seems to happen.  And then I'm tempted to wonder about how I fit in the grand scheme of things.  Don't we all?  I keep having to remind myself that my destiny is not defined by anything in this world.  To God all that matters is my relationship with Him.

But sometimes it feels as if He's keeping me in the dark.  Especially when life becomes difficult.  And when I grow weary in my spirit that's when Satan tries to fill my head with lies.

" Sure God has promised to give you eternal blessings.  But that doesn't mean He will bless you while you live on Earth.  Just accept your lot in life and stop dreaming and hoping for something big to happen!  Keep your head down and don't take risks.  Especially now with the economy being so poor!"

Or

" If you didn't get married in college there's no hope you will ever get married.  No one has given you a second glance all these years and your youth won't last forever.  Who wants to be married to an old woman!"

Lies, lies, lies!  Well, perhaps some of those things will turn out to be true but its none of Satan's business whatever God chooses to do with my life.  Sometimes his cruel words really hurt and all I can do is run to my heavenly father and cry.  

But God is good to me.  More than I deserve.  He listens and is so patient and kind.  He speaks very gently to me during these trying times.  He reminds me that Satan, the tireless accuser, will be punished for all the pain he causes the Christians.  

" Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet.  There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." 

~ Revelation 20:10

God reminds me that everything will be okay and the joys waiting for me are beyond description.

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.  All these things are gone forever."  

~ Revelation 21:4

And God is teaching me to capture hurtful thoughts and rebuke them.  

" We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning. And to destroy false arguments and every proud obstacle that is raised against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive in order to obey the Messiah." 

~ 2 Corinthians 10:4 +5 

I don't know what my future in this world will be before I die.  None of us know.  But I do know that my life is in God's hands and that is the best place it can ever be.

" So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord.  Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will.  Then you will receive all that he has promised." 

~ Hebrews 10:35-36