As we think about Hannah, Job, Joseph and David, we think about perseverance. Perseverance can be defined as “not giving up. It is persistence and tenacity, the effort required to do something and keep doing it till the end, even if it's hard.” This simply means we keep going no matter what lies before us. Yes there are people who persevere in their own strength but they will not see the same results. In the above names there was provoking and taunting, mocking and dire situations. James 1:12 “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” You do not receive the crown of life by persevering on you own. James 5:10 “Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 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.” When God call us to be faithful we must stand firm on that calling no matter what. Before I go on, we must understand that perseverance in the word of God is what I am talking about not persevering in your own strength while following your own path. The church at Ephesus was told Revelations 2:3 “You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.” But to the same people they were told “4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” Perseverance is very serious. No matter what we do not turn away from God’s word. There is no sense persevering unless it is to the Glory of God. 1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
As you realize by now the church today is filled with stubborn and obstinate people. Nehemiah 9:29 “You warned them in order to turn them back to your law, but they became arrogant and disobeyed your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, of which you said, ‘The person who obeys them will live by them.’ Stubbornly they turned their backs on you, became stiff-necked and refused to listen.” 2 Kings17:4 “But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God. 15 They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them, “Do not do as they do.” 40 They would not listen, however, but persisted in their former practices. 41 Even while these people were worshiping the Lord, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did.” Romans 2:5 “But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.” Sadly many in the church have no idea that God’s wrath is being stored up against them.
As we stand firm on the word of God, we will be attacked. We see this all through scripture. We saw how Joseph was attacked by his brothers and how Job was mocked by those lesser than himself. In Psalm 35 David talks about those attacking him. He says “4 May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay. 11 Ruthless witnesses come forward; 16 Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked; they gnashed their teeth at me. 21 They sneer at me and say, “Aha! Aha! Do not let them think, “Aha, just what we wanted!” or say, “We have swallowed him up.” 26 May all who gloat over my distress be put to shame and confusion; may all who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and disgrace.” Stephen preached Acts 7:51 “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53 you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.” 54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him.” As God lays out his plan in our lives the exact same thing will happen and has happened. There will be those gnashing there teeth at you. In most cases people are content with their lives and do not want to hear otherwise. Isaiah 48:1 “Listen to this, you descendants of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel and come from the line of Judah, you who take oaths in the name of the LORD and invoke the God of Israel— but not in truth or righteousness— 2 you who call yourselves citizens of the holy city and claim to rely on the God of Israel— the LORD Almighty is his name: 3 I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass. For I knew how stubborn you were; your neck muscles were iron, your forehead was bronze.” This is not the forehead we want. Isaiah 30:9 “For these are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the Lord’s instruction. 10 They say to the seers, “See no more visions!” and to the prophets, “Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. 11 Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!”
The most important thing we can do is to stand firm on the word of God and never turn from it. Joshua was told Joshua 1:7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” King Asa was told 2 Chronicles 15:7 “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”
While canoeing one time in Algonquin Park on Canoe Lake a storm was coming fast. The wind was blowing, there was lightening off in the distance and my wife was 7 months pregnant. As we were in the middle of the lake we had to put our heads down and paddle as hard as we could. Not as much fun in a canoe without a keel. I am not a sailor but I believe that is like head to wind - Head to wind is when the boat is facing directly into the wind. That was some tough paddling but we made it. The storm was much nicer to watch from the shore. This is how it needs to be when you persevere and remain steadfast. You put your head down and keep going no matter how the winds blow or the obstacles come. You never give up. Ezekiel was told in Ezekiel 3:4 “He then said to me: “Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them. 5 You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and strange language, but to the people of Israel— 6 not to many peoples of obscure speech and strange language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you. 7 But the people of Israel are not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for all the Israelites are hardened and obstinate. 8 But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are. 9 I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.” 10 And he said to me, “Son of man, listen carefully and take to heart all the words I speak to you. 11 Go now to your people in exile and speak to them. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says,’ whether they listen or fail to listen.”
We do not have to fear. God will give us the resilience we need to persevere. Isaiah 43:1 “But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” Hebrews 10:36 “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” So we continue to stand firm on the word of God until those promises are received. 1 Chronicles 28:20 “David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished.” Joshua was told Joshua 21:45 “Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.” Deuteronomy 11:18 “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, 21 so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.”
We can have foreheads of stone by binding God’s word on our foreheads. No we do not actually have to do that literally but we do need to meditate on and be in God’s word always. This means we are saturated by God’s word, as we trust His words. So put your head down and persevere. Ask God to give you a forehead of the hardest stone and serve Him with a stubborn resilience, unyielding and hardened.
