Day 211 - The Long Haul

"Only people with longevity get to see those types of things." 

The reward of longevity is seeing goals accomplished. Ask anyone who has weathered a storm or who has stuck it out if they were glad they did. They will tell you that it was tough but totally worth it. 

My father in law has been the pastor of our church for the past 27 years. He took a group of 12 people, most of whom were his family, and today tens of thousands attend our church. A few years ago he told a group of pastors one of the secrets of his success. He told them the reason he was successful when others failed was because he outlasted them. 

The same is true in all areas of life. Don't stop until you reach the goal. Stay in for the long haul. You will be glad you did!

Have you stuck out any storms? What rewards have you seen for staying in for the long haul? 

Day 201 - Pushing On

"We drove to golf and got about five holes in. Jess did exceptionally well. On the fifth hole it rained us out. It actually was hail that was stinging our ears and soaking us. The wind was so strong it was pushing over dad's clubs so I threw them on my back and pushed ahead. He didn't like that but I was fine."

I love how Spurgeon writes that it was by perseverance that the snail reached the ark. It is no different with us. Some things will only get done when we push on. 

If life is tough and the storms rage, push on. When you don't understand and it seems like chaos and confusion, push on. If you don't see the end, push on. You can make it. 

The Bible is right when we read the words 'you have need of endurance'. Life is not a sprint it is a marathon. We win when we finish no matter how short or how long we run. What matters is that we make it to the finish line. The only way to do that is to push on. 

What are some areas you need to push on in your life? How can you do it? 

Day 178 - And You Thought You Had It Bad

"Joseph. Persecuted by his brothers. He was sold as a slave to Potiphar. There he became ruler of the house. Just when things were getting better the lady of the house lied on him and now he goes to the prison. Once again Joseph takes a step down in life but in heart steps up and becomes ruler of the prison. Until one day he steps out of the prison into the palace. He gives a plan which opens the door for him to be given a position. The plan was a process that required pain and patience to get progress and the promise which included prosperity (children and family together, lives are saved). In the end he realizes his God given purpose."

The story of Joseph is one of my favorites in the Bible. I think he is to be admired and we could all benefit by learning from his life. I can't even read the account let alone watch "Joseph, Prince of Dreams" without tearing up. (For those of you not familiar with Joseph, Prince of Dreams it was the second movie after the more popular Prince of Egypt movie... so yes, I am crying while watching a cartoon. Don't judge.) 

Looking over the mouthful I wrote last year I think it gives a great synopsis of the story while also showing practical steps for us to follow. Just look at all the words that start with the letter 'p'. 

Persecuted, Prison, Palace, Plan, Position, Process, Pain, Patience, Progress, Promise, Prosperity, Purpose. 

That is a whole lot but so is the story of Joseph. Sermons have been preached and volumes could be written on the life of Joseph. We all should look into and learn from his life. The take away is that if you think you have it bad just take a look at his life. He was betrayed by those who should have protected him, lied about and cast into the lowest place. Yet after all is said and done he recognizes the hand of God through it all and forgives and blesses those who hurt him the most. 

Will we do the same? No matter how hard life gets I know that if Joseph, and Jesus, could endure what they did and extend forgiveness then we can too. It may not be easy but it will be the greatest thing we do. The volumes written in Heaven will record the amazing stories that will come from the perseverance of people like you and me. 

What do you admire most from the life of Joseph? How can we endure and forgive like he did?

Day 102 - An Education in Healing

"A few days ago in church I had the thought that sometimes, in order for a person to get healed their mind needs to be educated and their spirit edified in order for their body to be healed. We see this in Mark 6:5-6 that Jesus couldn't do many miracles except lay hands on a few sick people to heal them and He marveled at their unbelief. The next thing Jesus did was to travel in a circuit teaching so that faith would rise and people could get healed. Today while driving to church I had the thought that in the Bible we also see the reverse. Jesus sometimes healed the body so that the spirit would be edified and then the mind was educated. This was the instance of the man in John chapter 9. He was first healed. Then because of his healing he could boldly testify of what Jesus had done. Finally he had to be educated about who Jesus really was so Jesus revealed Himself."

This post pretty much speaks for itself. I think the thought that comes today is that there is a process that we must go through in our faith. Sometimes that process is education to faith (faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God) and then receiving the promise. Other times the process is a miracle beyond our understanding that catapults us into a realm where progress comes through education. 

We need to patient and endure the process. I find that healing is one area that people have a difficult time waiting. The simple answer is pain. I don't blame them either. Enduring pain for prolonged periods of time can bring doubt, discouragement and even depression. 

The answer is in what the Bible describes as endurance. The original word is a compound word that means to stand under a burden. If we have the Word of God as one leg and the grace of God as the other we will be able to stand under the pain of the pressure and process as long as it takes. May the Lord educate us Himself and give us grace to endure the pain of the process.

Have you ever been healed and then God showed you truth from that healing? What scriptures help you when you are believing for healing? 

Day 71 - Long Waits

"My illustrator got me the first proof of Sarah's Silly Sock Day. Seeing it all together makes it so much more real. We have some changes but should be sending the completed book to West Bow Press soon. It is exciting!"

As some of you may or may not know I wrote a children's picture book "Sarah's Silly Sock Day". The book was recently released on Thomas Nelson's indie publishing company West Bow Press. It is doing amazingly well with very little marketing. I am humbled and amazed at the support of my family and friends and church through this process. 

I wrote the words above in quotes a year ago today when my first proof was completed. From that time to my actual submission was a month or so. From the time of my submission to my first printed proof was many more months. I ended up having to resubmit and that process took about a month or so. 

We all can handle setbacks and obstacles. We can even put up with a year of delays. Can I share something with you though? I wrote the book four years ago. Four years. Have you heard the phrase 'hurry up and wait'? That is what it felt like for most of the process. It wasn't easy or cheap and it wasn't always fun. 

If you are going to start doing something like we discussed in yesterday's post then get ready for opposition. Joshua took the promised land with a sword in his hand. There were supernaturally long days and miraculous victories. There were also problems and sin issues he had to deal with. 

I have had plans and prayers that have taken years and even decades. Yet I know that God is working. I am too. 

Don't get discouraged. It is all a part of the process. Anything worth doing is worth the investment of time, pain, waiting and even suffering if that is what it takes. 

Have you had to wait years for dreams, prayers or plans to come through? What help you to endure?

By the way, If you are interested in Sarah's Silly Sock Day you can get it here.