So about 30 minutes ago, I sat down and asked God to give me His eyes. Here’s what I got. Maybe if you are wallowing, this will help you. So I can’t remember if I’ve told you or not, but a special word that God and I have shared for the last year or so is the word “endurance.” I never told anyone about that. Then, in December, before my squad leader, Tiffany, left she gave me a note that prophesied the word “endurance” over me. That was like a little gift from God because I hadn’t told anyone how I was hearing that word from Him. Then at this last debrief in Kenya, we had the other squad prophesy over us. I went up to a girl named Bridget whom I barely know and with her eyes closed and not knowing who I was, she of course told me the word she was hearing from the Lord was “endurance.”
Okay. No more doubting prophetic words. So God was telling me to have endurance. Fine. I can have endurance. Last month was crazy, and I had endurance and we made it through. I was like, “See Lord, I can have endurance, that wasn’t so bad.”
Coming into this month, I was praying for a word for the month. I came up with the word “patience.” Great. We all know what that means. You know how it goes. When you pray for patience, God gives you “opportunities” to exercise patience. yick. I shrugged and moved on.
Fast forward to today. Now 40 minutes ago, God brought the words “endurance” and “patience” to mind and He brought me to some verses.
James 1:2-4, 12
“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces ENDURANCE. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing…Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
Hebrews 10:35-36
you may receive what was promised.”
Hebrews 12:1-3
“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with ENDURANCE the race (lol don’t you just love that part?) that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and He sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
Okay, so I’m not in perfect shape. Still struggling with the Malaria. Still want a cheeseburger and a normal shower. Still think that 4 ½ months is kind of a long time and I still want to see my boyfriend and my family. But if God is telling me to have patience and run the race with endurance with my eyes focused on Jesus, I’m going to do it. I’m also realizing that endurance and patience comes through faith. Faith in knowing that God has me here for a specific purpose. Faith in knowing that He’s not going to give me more than I can handle. Faith that as I endure, His perfect plan is being worked out in me. What’s more, through endurance, we may become “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” and can receive what was promised, the “crown of life.”
Come on. Preach it.
