(2 Corinthians 4:8-9)
Joop Zoetemelk is known as the Netherlands’ most successful cyclist. But that’s because he never gave up. He started and finished the Tour de France 16 times—placing second five times before winning in 1980. That’s perseverance! (Our Daily Bread-RBC)
Life here on planet earth is a challenging experience to say the least. Just when you think things are going good, around the corner comes another trial. Life has it's ups and downs, and the question comes, how do we stay in the balance of those ups and downs? And just because we take one step forward and two steps back, does not mean it's the end of the world. The Apostle Paul expresses this in our text. Even though we may go through severe trials and experience difficult set backs, we still have hope in the Lord.
The fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is with us, and giving us the strength to endure these trials, should bring peace to our hearts, and confidence to persevere. We are never alone in the fiery trials. He is definitely with us, as He was with the three Hebrew boys in the book of Daniel
(Daniel 3:19-25).
The most important possession to have, as we journey through this life, is a strong relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Through His Word, and His presence, we can persevere, and rise above anything that comes our way. "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him (Jesus Christ) who loved us." (Romans 8:37)
With Jesus, we are never losers, and with Him, we will always have peace in our perseverance. GP
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