Don’t Lose Heart

It’s so easy to get discouraged, isn’t it? I wonder how many of us fall into this category?

When you look at your life, do you wish it was different? Do you long for your circumstances to change? I know I do.

When Jesus wanted to teach His disciples to persevere, He told them a parable about a widow and an unjust judge. Read about it here. The story begins…”Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart…”

Don’t lose heart. Keep praying. Persevere.

Those are tough things to do, aren’t they?

• How long have you been praying for that loved one to know Jesus?
• How long have you grieved over a broken relationship that you want healed but healing seems like it will never come?
• When was the last time that you didn’t feel the need to pray for that chronic health condition that gives you so little peace?
• When was the last time you felt truly loved by the people you love most?
• Or didn’t feel alone?
• Or depressed?
• Or anxious?
• Or lonely even in a crowd?
• How long have you sought justice for a terrible wrong and not found it?
• Or felt as though the world was falling apart and you couldn’t do a thing to fix it?

I’ve been reading the book of James this past week. When we get to chapter five, James talks about perseverance. Verses ten and eleven say this, “Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” (Emphasis mine) NIV

The NKJV says what the Lord intended to bring about. But I love the way this verse is worded in the NIV because it feels like a deep sigh–finally! I wonder…did Job feel relieved and have an “at last!” moment when God answered him and he realized how much he didn’t understand, but that God did not condemn him for his questions? Job did recognize, however, that God is so much greater and far above him, and though God earlier called him blameless and upright, Job still knew that he needed to repent. In the presence of Holy God, repentance is the only right response from all of us.

But after Job prayed for his friends, God restored his wealth and happiness. (Job 42 Living Paraphrase). The NIV puts it this way,  “After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.” A few verses later the Bible tells us that the Lord blessed the latter half of his life more than He had the first part.

Job is commended for his perseverance. I’m not sure anyone has suffered quite like Job did. He lost everything except his wife. He lost his wealth, his children, and his health. And he had some pretty awful friends, so I suppose he lost his friends too. He lost his respect in the eyes of those around him. They considered his plight as judgment from God. How wrong they were!

I don’t know what trials you are facing today. I do know that there is no one alive who will not face hardship of some kind one day. If your life is great right now, I’m glad. But remember, that it might not always be that way. Compassion for others comes from the trials we personally face. And perseverance is highly favored by our God.

But I also know that to keep on keeping on, to not lose heart or hope, can be a daily battle. Especially when these struggles pile one on top of the other. When you’ve been praying for years and years with no change, that’s when we need to put Jesus’ teaching into practice. Keep praying. Keep knocking. Keep seeking. Keep hoping. Keep believing. Keep trusting.

God may seem silent right now, but when He does decide to speak, as He did with Job, we will see change, either in our circumstances or in ourselves. God has great blessings waiting for those who love and believe in His Son Jesus Christ. This world is temporary. Trials are temporary. None of them are worth our despair because we can’t know what God is doing to make all things new.

So look up. Take heart. Persevere. Run the race. The future with Jesus is far brighter than the darkness we might be facing here.

~Selah