Lesson 12
Therefore I [am ready to] persevere and stand my ground with patience and endure everything for the sake of the elect [God's chosen], so that they too may obtain [the] salvation which is in Christ Jesus, with [the reward of] eternal glory (2 Timothy 2:10 AMP).
The past two and a half years have been a medical battlefield for my husband and me. Just before Christmas 2007, tests confirmed he had prostate cancer. He opted for surgery, thinking he didn’t want to play Russian roulette with the deadly disease. Praise God, his PSA has been perfect since. However, not willing to accept defeat, the enemy waged war in other areas.
At the time of his initial CT Scan, the doctor noticed several small spots on the lobe of his left lung. More tests were ordered and Gene paid periodic visits to a pulmonologist who informed us that the nodules where so minute that he couldn’t perform a biopsy because it’d be like finding one particular snowflake on top of Mt. Everest. Nevertheless, Gene had to have follow-up CT Scans every six months for the past two years. Again, God was faithful. No changes occurred in that time period, and the specialist discharged Gene.
Through one of the CT Scans of Gene’s lungs, the doctor discovered a suspicious looking area on his liver. More tests proved the area to be a cluster of blood vessels, nothing to warrant concern. God is good always, all ways.
Still the enemy attempted another attack. While studying the pictures of Gene’s liver, the doctor spied yet another irregular spot on one of his kidneys. Now, I was ready to tell the doctor this was NOT a hidden picture puzzle. However, we followed his suggestion to see a nephrologist. The irregular spot turned out to be scar tissue.
Ten years ago, Gene had had an episode with his kidneys that put him in the hospital for a week. In the beginning of this bout, a CT Scan revealed a spot on the kidney, which they assumed was a kidney stone. However, after a week of “flushing” and “straining” nothing passed. Another CT Scan showed the spot had disappeared. The top specialist on the east coast scratched his head in wonderment. Bottom line—ten years later, scar tissue shows up on the pictures and the doctors are still scratching their heads. But we know the Great Physician performed surgery and freed Gene from suffering through various medical treatments and loss of income.
At the onset of each “spot,” Gene and I entered the battle with no options but to move forward and trust God in the process. Although we both bore a considerable amount of stress, Gene displayed an incredible knack of keeping things on the littler side. I easily followed his lead. We stepped into doctors’ offices with smiles on our faces and a sense of humor to match. Most of the time, we waltzed out of the facility to the tune of the nurses and receptionists’ laughter. Not because we always received favorable reports, we didn’t, but because we wanted to shed a ray of hope and light in an otherwise gloomy atmosphere. God enables us to persevere all the testing and blessed us as we moved forward. Each battle we face offers the opportunity for us to stand our ground and give testimony of God’s mercy and grace to those around us.
God’s mercy and grace surrounded Joshua and his army as they faced battle after battle and now, through Scripture, their perseverance bears witness to God’s faithfulness so that we too may believe and be saved. For seven years, the Israelites no sooner defeated one foe than another enemy attacked. Although they had no clue how intense or how long each war would be, they knew the victory belonged to them as long as they persevered in God’s plan for them. According to chapter 10:11, hailstones destroyed more enemy soldiers than Israeli swords.
Although the battles were won at God’s hand, Joshua and his army must have harbored some fear in their hearts because chapter 11:6 records, But the Lord said to Joshua, Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow by this time I will give them up all slain to Israel. (AMP) At that point, eleven tribes joined forces to combat against Israel. The Bible says they were like the sands on the seashore in number with many chariots and horses. But God said, “Don’t worry about their number or the strength of the enemy. I’ve given you the victory. Just persevere and trust me.”
What a lesson for all of us! No matter how fast and furious the enemy attacks, we can trust God to give us the victory if we persevere and trust Him.
Perseverance and trust in God are necessary in our walk and in our quest for joy. If we head into battle without consulting God or without waiting on His answer, we are ultimately defeated. Regardless of the outcome, Satan wins because we have devised our own solution in our own strength and time and have turned our face from God. Plus, it is impossible to trust God without persevering to the end.
We witness this combination of perseverance and trust in God in Paul’s life. Although he was incarcerated and his future held little promise of improvement, the apostle never gave up hope in visiting his churches one more time. He delighted in their progress and charity. He continued teaching and preaching through his letters and to anyone who gave him an ear. He stayed connected with God obediently following His command and trusting Him to carry through with His promises. Paul’s main focus was on the welfare of those he brought to Christ, not on himself. His inability to revisit the churches he established didn’t stop him from doing what was needed on their behalf. He sent Epaphroditus back to the Philippian church with the promise to send Timothy as soon as it was convenient and with the added hope of returning himself. In another letter Paul wrote, Who shall ever separate us from Christ's love? Shall suffering and affliction and tribulation? Or calamity and distress? Or persecution or hunger or destitution or peril or sword? (Romans 8:35 AMP). Then he answered the question, Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us. For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:37-39 AMP).
Health issues, financial difficulties, marital conflicts, disputes within the church, and a host of other disasters can imprison us as surely as Paul was imprisoned. However if we continue in the way God has provided for us, victory is guaranteed, and our testimonies will draw others to Jesus.
Through Him [Jesus] also we have [our] access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God's favor) in which we [firmly and safely] stand. And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God. Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation (Romans 5:2-4 AMP).
Prayer:
Joy and confident hope of eternal salvation belongs to me if I persevere to the end. LORD, help me hang on to Your hand as I endure the sufferings, which are inevitable on earth. As I do so, teach me to be truly grateful for those very trials develop such a deep joy within me that others seek You. In Jesus’ name, amen.