We Count Them Happy, Who Endure
The Apostle Paul teaches us to be patient in tribulation and constant in prayer.
Endure afflictions and hardships as a good soldier, not praise, pray, speak, dance, decree, and shout YOUR WAY OUT OF IT. He said: GO THROUGH IT — ENDURE!
Now you can do all these things while you are going through but, it will not make you exempt from the process of going through nor, will it make the trial of your faith go away more quickly even though it is a positive way to go through, but nonetheless you must ENDURE — GO THROUGH.
How long? Until God is ready to bring you out! God may be trying to add some things to your faith such as patience, virtue, knowledge, charity, and works etc..
The Bible teaches us to let or allow patience to have her perfect work that you may be entire lacking nothing.
So please stop looking for quick fixes and listening to those who tell you just get on up out of that situation, jump up and down 3 times decree scriptures and boom you outta that situation.
Wrong! You gotta ENDURE — GO THROUGH and trust God to bring you out in his own time.
Some people have not endured anything but a divorce and a chipped tooth and think they tell everyone else how to get out of trouble, rather than endure the process as Paul taught and lived and Jesus himself did!
What do I have to say to those who teach these so called quick fixes? I say to them, live long enough and you to will face a trial of your faith that you will not be able to get out of overnight — in fact, you won’t come out until God himself brings you out and that will be his own timing and when (not if but when) you do go through it, you will need those of us who have really endured the process to help you get through!
“When (not if) thou passest THROUGH the waters, I will be with thee; and THROUGH the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest THROUGH the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee,” Isaiah 43:2.
“Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went THROUGH fire and THROUGH water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place,” Psalm 66:12.
“Thou therefore ENDURE hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ,” 2 Timothy 2:32.
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer,” Romans 12:12.
“But watch thou in all things, ENDURE afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry,” 2 Timothy 4:5.
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world,” 1 Peter 5:8-9.
“Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, we count them happy which ENDURE. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.” James 5:10-11.
“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing,” James 1:3-4.
“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified,” 1 Peter 4:12-14.
“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ,” 1 Peter 1:7.
“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18.
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” 2 Corinthians 4:17.
“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.” 2 Peter 1:5-7.
“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” James 2:14-20.
“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Romans 5:3-5.
“For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:6-10.
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.” Psalm 34:19.
~ Kimberly Fuller
Profound. Thank you.