Perseverance and encouragement

For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. Romans 15:4-7

I know what Paul said to Timothy about scripture being good for teaching, admonishing, correction, and reproof. This passage talks about God being one who gives perseverance and encouragement. There are many more verses in the Bible that show who God builds us up and gives us strength, through encouragement than through rebuke.

Especially in the new testament it tells us over and over to bear with, build up, encourage, help each other. The thought of What James says about considering it all Joy when we go through various trials, it say the testing of our faith produces endurance. The connection is this, we get perseverance and encouragement from God that enables us to stand during any trial, then we are able to endure the trial.

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. James 1:3-4

Perseverance is not our ability to weather the storm in our own strength, the perseverance we are talking about is a God given perseverance, and encouragement. It comes through the Word of God. Hallelujah The word of God is for our perseverance and encouragement, not for judgement and condemnation.

Two times in one verse there is a reference to the Word of God. ‘What was written,’ and ‘encouragement of the scriptures. ‘The scriptures, it is talking about the old testament here, (what was written before), was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and encouragement. There is much more that can be said about these verses from Jerimiah, But lets just take encouragement from them.

For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord , ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord , ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord , ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’ Jeremiah 29:11-12,14

God is for us! Romans 8

A thought about what perseverance in this context is, meditating upon the word of God day and night,(perseverance), we get encouragement through the scriptures. Encouragement for what? Encouragement never comes for no reason. It says that we might have hope. In Jerimiah God says about the plans that He has for us, they are for a hope and a future. Hope is for something good.

The opposite to hope is despair, expecting bad, or wrong. Thinking that there are no good choices to make. God only wants us to have a hope, not only that He has a future planned for us, Here in this world, in this life. There are plenty of verses in the Bible that talk about despair. Mostly to do with people getting to a place of despair before they finally call upon the Lord. That cannot be what God wants

There are some that will tell us that we cannot move forward in the Lord until we get to that place of brokenness, Then and only then can God do the work by restoring us. That does not sound right to me. It does not sound like the mighty God that I serve. That is like telling me that God wants and needs us to be broken, and in despair before He can do anything.

Some will tell us that God cannot use us until He has broken us and rebuilt us. Again that does sound right to me. I do know that is almost impossible for God to use a broken vessel, that He needs to mend it before He can use it. He is an expert in mending broken vessels. He is not the one who breaks us.

We get broken by the choices we make. Then it seems that some people blame God for breaking them. We get broken by not walking by the Spirit and doing what He is leading us to do. God gave us a free will to choose whatever we want to do. God will not ever violate that free will. He will and can make circumstances work out to protect us and work together for our good. We have to stop blaming God for the consequences of our choices, words, and actions.

Jesus warned us that we would have opposition, that we would be persecuted, and killed. If we have wrong way of looking at things we could say that these are things that are consequences of choices to walk in the way of the Lord. That could be a valid way to look at things, but not everybody goes through the same trials and tribulations for the same reasons. Those people who do the wrong stuff to us have got their own free will and will have to suffer their own consequences for their  actions.

I want to encourage us in the Lord. How can we stand and not become broken vessels that God has to pick up and mend. I think that as His children we have the responsibility to walk in a way that would not cause us to come to a place of brokenness. Maybe God has other things to do that are more important than having to put us back together, but He is always ready to help. Things will come against us at times but the truth in the Lord Jesus is that we have the victory.

For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. Psalms 51:16-17

I have some issues with some of the teaching that I have heard on these verses the words of David. They have been used in this context of God breaking us. The truth is David  ignored the conviction of his own heart, then was confronted about the sins he had committed. Through self-reflection he became broken, realising the depth of his sin. Consequences of his actions. So David wrote this saying, “A broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, you will not despise. David was broken but He had the confidence to sacrifice his brokenness and come to God. In brokenness we can become prideful and not want to come before God, so it is a sacrifice of the heart, the flesh, that we need. Our hearts can become a stumbling block in the way of our relationship with God.

This is David recognising that as it says in Romans 8, that nothing can separate us from the love of God. no matter what we have done God will not turn His face from us, a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart god will not despise. He is saying that, “I messed up, now I understand how much, even so Lord I know that you will not turn me away.” David knew God and knew His word. There are other times when it says that David encouraged himself in the Lord.

Let me encourage you. If we meditate on the Word of God we will find encouragement. In that encouragement we gain strength. In that strength we will find Joy. In that joy we will find peace. The word of God says, Jesus said multiple times, ‘do not worry.’ Philippians 4 say Be anxious for nothing. And tells us how to gain that peace.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

This could actually be saying, if we look at it from a negative thought process; if you allow yourself to be anxious, and do not pray or humbly petition God, we will not have the peace of God to guard our hearts and minds. I prefer the way that scripture puts it, because it encourages me.

The truth is if we persevere in the meditation of the Word of God, we will be encouraged, strengthened. and equipped to stand against anything that our enemy the devil tries to throw at us.

Charlie