Answers for Religious Persecution

From the last post, "Religious Persecution," (which looked particularly at "in-house" persecution):

Persecution for displaying faith in Christ can be public or private. It may be physical, verbal or emotional abuse. It may be as serious as being killed, as simple as demeaning looks and snide remarks, as intimidating as threats to those we love. It comes from stranger and loved ones alike—and even from misguided Christians with whom we share faith.

Though it's the longest post I've ever offered, what I present here as a five-part answer to persecution only begins to address the suffering a person might endure for choosing to follow Christ. I nonetheless submit it with a prayer that God will use these words to strengthen—to "build up"—every one of His precious people being persecuted; to encourage anyone facing suffering of any kind.

~ ~ ~

1. Choose Jesus

"But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."
~ Luke 10:42 (NKJV)

To choose Jesus is always to choose the good part. Whatever temptation there may be to "smooth things over" and simply quench faith, the better blessing will be found in Jesus every time. To choose Jesus is to follow both His example and His Spirit's guidance in each situation. Following Christ sometimes means holding our ground, and sometimes means yielding a right.

If persecution arrives as spousal abuse (physical, verbal, or emotional), it's especially painful to be mistreated by the person we love most, from whom love is most expected, with whom God unites us body and soul. It can be particularly difficult to discern when to stand up and when to stand down. If we cling first to Him, we can walk with God through even this.

However and whenever we are confronted face to face with immediate affliction, true faith remains fixed on the unseen (Hebrews 11:1) and the eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18) through the moment at hand.

2. Seek Relief from God

Give us help from trouble,
For the help of man is useless.
~ Psalms 60:11 (NKJV)

Do not put your trust in princes,
Nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.
~ Psalms 146:3 (NKJV)

If physical violence is present or threatened, or if persecution violates civil rights, relief is sometimes sought through the courts, police, or other government agencies. Temporal relief is occasionally found, but government too often stands on the side of persecution.

Ideally, the church would never contribute to religious persecution, and would provide a measure of relief through all of life's trials by coming alongside its suffering members in support. But our churches are as imperfect as the humans who fill them, every Christian a work in progress. Whether or not church community lives up to the exhortation, "Bear one another's burdens" (Galatians 6:2), reality is that "each one shall bear his own load" (Galatians 6:5).

In cases of maltreatment from a spouse, our local church might provide immediate encouragement and advice (including biblical information on separation and divorce), perhaps some short-term counseling, and maybe even appropriate confrontation. Maybe. More often, spousal abuse may be seen as marital conflict that's too private (or too messy) for involvement of the church, particularly without the cooperation of the spouse, or in the absence of adultery or civil law violation.

Especially in the USA, we seem to expect quick relief from trouble, via everything from pharmaceuticals to FEMA. Persecution defies remedy through assistance from others. True relief is available from only one Source. The Lord is sovereign over all the suffering He allows in our lives until it has accomplished His intent for it. God alone is able to deliver, whether He sends human assistance, calls His people to come alongside us as support, or works a heart change in a persecutor.

3. Ask for God's Sustenance

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior."
~ Isaiah 43:2-3 (NKJV)

Though God may not grant our request for relief from persecution, we can rely upon Him to sustain us through persecution. While we can count on God's strength to sustain us through any and all suffering, we can especially expect it when we suffer on His account.

Withdrawal is a common reaction to intense pain. We can become weary in prayer when the Lord does not grant, in our timing, requested relief from persecution. But may we never withdraw from prayer! We absolutely need divine strength to stand in the face of persecution. Whether or not He provides relief, He is ever faithful to provide strength in the needed hour if we will but ask.

We are never alone in persecution. The Lord promises to be with us. This is not merely a standing-next-to "with." Through His Holy Spirit, God lives inside of us. And being on the inside, He feels and experiences and goes through everything we go through, as fully as we do. When God says, "I will be with you," He and His sustenance are with us more completely than our finite minds comprehend.

4. Allow the Master to Own the Debt

For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord's freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ's slave.
~ 1 Corinthians 7:22 (NKJV)

Persecution hurts. And the more we have invested in the life of persecutor, the more persecution for faith hurts. The pain of persecution can be accompanied by the pain of anger, or the pain of anger grown stale—bitterness. Full forgiveness is difficult, especially when we continue to face persecutor on a regular or even daily basis.

God owns persecutor and persecuted alike. When we willingly give ourselves to the Lord, we are blessed to know Him as a good and loving Master.

No slave owns himself or anything he holds. All belongs to the master. In the case of a debt, anything owed to the slave is actually owed to the slave's master.

In the case of offense or injury from persecution, our Master owns the debt. We can freely forgive persecutor without being burdened by the debt owed for his sin.

(For more on this thought, see "Forgiveness.")

5. Remember: Witnesses, Jesus, Joy

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every weight, and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Look unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross—despising its shame—and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, lest you become weary and lose heart.
~ Hebrews 12:1-3

• Whether or not actively persecuted for faith, every Christian is on trial, to prove the genuineness of faith in Jesus, every day. Our lives are lived out before human and heavenly witnesses alike (both the good and the evil), our words and actions testimony to the power of God. (For more on trial / temptation / testing, see "Deliver Us From Evil.")

• Endurance can be passive. But persecution begs active perseverance, like running a race—or violently fighting a war (Matthew 11:12). And perseverance requires focus. A runner sets his sights on the finish line. Our focus is on Jesus, seated at the right hand of God's throne, who holds His arms out to us, spurring us onward.

• With our fixed eyes on Jesus, we can push through this life's afflictions. We can be renewed in the past joy of the salvation He's given (Psalm 51:12); we can express joy that we are counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Jesus in the present (Acts 5:41); we can have joy in complete assurance of the future reward awaiting us.

" 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' "
~ Matthew 25:23 (NKJV)

Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
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Copyright 2013, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Spiritual Armor: Prayer and Perseverance

Though a warrior is often asked to perform an assignment or fight in a place that takes him out of sight of his commander, they remain in contact. Contact provides direction, support, supplies, and perhaps even the ability to return from the field. But if contact is lost because the all the commanders are dead, then any war is all for naught.

The Captain of our salvation is very much alive, more than able to sustain us as we remain in contact with Him.

Jesus said to [Mary], "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.' "
~ John 20:17 (NKJV)

It is possible that Jesus' disciples rejoiced in a risen Lord with a newfound view of Him as invincible King, Who would remain to establish His kingdom with power. While Jesus allowed them to touch Him and thereby believe His bodily resurrection (Matthew 28:9, John 20:27), He bid them not cling to Him, for He would soon depart again.

He nonetheless remains very much in contact with us, even as He institutes a new kingdom with power, establishing His spiritual rule in the hearts of men and women. Jesus has secured the penultimate victory over the penalty of sin, and we now jointly fight spiritual battles over the power of sin, until the final victory defeats all presence of sin—and death itself:

And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! … If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now Christ is risen from the dead … He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.
~ from 1 Corinthians 15:17-26

Paul concludes his depiction of our spiritual armor with the admonishment to be "praying always … being watchful to this end with all perseverance" (Ephesians 6:18). He knows flesh and blood cannot win spiritual battles such as the combat with temper / lust / pride, or the war against fear, or the struggle when evil words pierce, or the conquering of outrageous offenses with forgiveness.

But if we are willing to fight, these opportunities to advance our Lord's spiritual kingdom can be won with spiritual perseverance—and all else available through constant communication with the Living God in prayer.

As Your kingdom is established in Heaven, Your kingdom come, Lord, through us, by Your power. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus, reign in us!

Comments are welcome (including respectful disagreement) and will receive a reply.
You may also contact author via Twitter – @anne4JC
or e-mail – buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2012, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Man of Sorrows, Prince of Peace

The most recent addition to my library is Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo. This credible account by Todd tells of his son Colton's near-death experience and describes several details of Heaven, including meeting Jesus. (Whatever criticism the book has received, I found it consistent with Scripture and glorifying of God, with an emphasis on every person's need to have Jesus.)

When asked what Jesus looks like, four-year-old Colton mentioned, "Jesus has red markers on Him," indicating Jesus' hands and feet. As the years went by, Todd often showed Colton various artists' depictions of Jesus, asking if they came close to the reality. Colton always dismissed them.

Then Todd heard about a child prodigy who also said she'd seen Jesus (Akiane Kramarik), who had drawn a picture of Him. Todd showed her artwork to Colton. A mesmerized Colton said this one got it right.



The fact that eight-year-old Akiane could draw this picture is by itself miraculous. Corroborating testimony from another small child might or might not be considered convincing. What Jesus really looks like isn't a make-it-or-break-it matter anyway.

Nonetheless, when I look into this face, I sense a pain behind the peace which spurs me on. Life's been pretty challenging lately, and the consideration to set aside lay ministry and attempt nothing more than being a stay-at-home mommy has never been stronger. I'm grateful to the Lord for every source of inspiration He cares to use in my life.

I share this picture with all of you with the prayer that you might find comfort and inspiration to remember our precious Lord and Savior—our example—as both Man of Sorrows and Price of Peace.

Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
~ Isaiah 53:1-5 (NKJV)

Comments, questions, and respectful disagreement are welcome.
Reply via comments at BuildingHisBody.com,
or e-mail buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Light for S.A.D.D.

Photo credit: courtesy Bud Ezekiel Hitchcock

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked ...
~ Genesis 3:7 (NKJV)

It's been suggested that Adam and Eve were clothed with the holy Light of God before they sinned, and their physical nakedness was only manifest in the loss of such spiritual clothing.

Worse than the S.A.D.D. that may threaten with winter's dim skies and short days would be the profound sadness of having full fellowship with the Creator and be clothed with His Light—and then lose it. I sometimes have the audacity to question if the Lord really needed to make mankind’s consequences any worse.

He surely did. We have so many blessings to distract ourselves from fellowship with our Lord. If we felt no more than the loss of that fellowship—if the world was not filled with suffering, to remind us that this really isn’t the way the Lord planned for things to be—we might convince ourselves that we can get along quite nicely without Him.

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
~ John 8:12 (NKJV)

Certain light bulbs are said to relieve winter S.A.D.D. for some people. The only remedy which seems to help me is The Light—Jesus. But even The Light of the world doesn’t work for me in small doses. I need to bathe in it.

If sunbathing requires a person to strip away as many clothes as is decent and expose plenty of skin to solar light, then Sonbathing is to strip away as many thoughts as are distracting and expose plenty of soul to Holy Light.

What would we do if our God did not love us so much that He pulls back the shade of this world's darkness and beckon us to immerse ourselves in His Word, bathe in His presence by pouring out our hearts to Him, and surround ourselves with His people?

"Let your light shine before others, so that they will see the beauty of your labors and will recognize your Father in Heaven."
~ Matthew 5:16 (author)

If we do not accept His invitation to be infused with Light, what will be the condition of others in darkness, who need to know Him?

Thank You, Lord, for not leaving us in darkness. Thank You for the beauty and strength and comfort of Your Light. Please shine Your love to others through us, even if we don't notice it passing through.

Comments, questions, and respectful disagreement are welcome. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments, or e-mail me ~ buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com
Copyright 2011, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Inevitable Triumph

Today's post is dedicated to the memory of all who lost their lives and risked their lives in defense of freedom during World War II.

USS Arizona
Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941
From the National Archives

"With confidence in our armed forces—
with the unbounding determination of our people—
we will gain the inevitable triumph, so help us God."
~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

This last weekend, our worship ministries orchestra, choir, and drama team presented an adaption of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" for two nights. The presentation featured an apartment set on one half of the stage and an 1941 radio studio on the other half. Our musical had its moments of comedy, top-quality soloists, and big band era music.

The climatic scene was when news is received of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and a father hears over the radio that his son's battleship—the USS Arizona—has just been completely destroyed. We did our best to honor history, our veterans, and our Lord. We all prayed that a message of hope amid tragedy, available through life in Christ, is what people would take home with them.

Though our worship ministry team practiced faithfully, we were aware that our performance did not achieve perfection. But it's unlikely that the audience noticed the numerous minor flaws. I believe we presented excellence, and that is what will be remembered. Though we wish to do well for the sake of the team, the greater goal is that our offering is pleasing to the Lord, however imperfect.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.
~ Psalms 19:14 (NKJV)

Evil thoughts pass through the heart. David did not pray for the Lord's acceptance of his thoughts, but of his meditation and spoken words.

This prayer is not as difficult as it looks. Whatever wrong thoughts may come to us, we must determine not to make them our heart's meditation, nor allow them to escape as spoken words.

God knows we're not perfect. He doesn't ask us to be. He asks us to strive for excellence. He asks us to give Him our best offering, flaws and all, keeping in mind how He loves and accepts His children. He has promised to not remember our sins, and He has promised to remember us. For He has (Isaiah 49:15-16) inscribed us on the palms of His nail-scarred hands.

In Jesus, we have inevitable triumph.

Comments, questions, and respectful disagreement are welcome. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments or e-mail me—my address is
buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com.
Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

Currency of Joy

This post is part of a blog carnival hostessed by Bridget Chumbley. You're invited to visit her at "One Word at a Time" and see what others are saying about today's theme: Gratitude.

Image source: photobucket.com

"What we take for granted is never ours
until we have bought it by pain.
A thing is worth just what it costs."
~ Oswald Chambers

Desperate people come to a place where they are driven either by despair to give up, or by resolve to persevere beyond all reason and apparent ability.

When King David hit bottom, he believed in God's promise to never give up on him. From a place of abject despair, he did not give up on God. Though he had committed adultery and murder, David had the audacity to ask the Lord for joy and edification:

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me with a generous spirit.
~ Psalms 51:12 (author)

In asking God to restore his joy, David asks for the spirit with which to take hold of it—a spirit of generosity, or noble liberality, toward God.

He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully... God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you ...
~ 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (NKJV)

Generosity comes easily from abundance. But in time of scarcity, generosity comes by sacrifice and great cost.

Generous expressions of gratitude to God for His blessings are fitting in times of abundance and easily sown. When thanksgiving and praise become a sacrifice—given from poverty, in famine of joy—it is not as easy to sow with a liberal hand. Yet if there will ever be a bountiful harvest, there must be bountiful sowing, even from a place of scarcity.

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
~ Hebrews 13:15 (NKJV)

Gratitude is the currency with which joy is purchased. Joy eludes the ungrateful heart of complaint and discontent. The heart willing to sow gratitude with a generous spirit in time of famine will again reap abundant joy. In any economy, value is determined by the price one is willing to pay to obtain what one seeks.

To be desperate for joy offers a choice. Either give up, or pay out the currency of joy. It is tendered with gratitude, however high the price.

I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.
Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
When You said, "Seek My face,"
My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek."
~ Psalms 27:6-8 (NKJV)

"Discontent is a sin that is its own punishment ...
It is a sin that is its own parent.
It arises not from the condition, but from the mind.
As we find Paul contented in a prison,
so Ahab discontent in a palace."
~ Matthew Henry

My thanks to Ginny at "Make a Difference to One" for the Matthew Henry quote.
I appreciate hearing from you. Questions are welcome. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments or e-mail me—my address is
buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com.
Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.

New Every Morning

"This morning as you awakened, God's eyes swept over you;
He called you by name and said, 'Come, follow Me.' "
~ David Roper

Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
~ Lamentations 3:22-23

Every morning is a new day. We begin afresh as we rise, with forgiveness for what has been, strength for what is, and bright hope for what is to come. We do not exhaust the Lord's mercies.

The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the LORD.
~ Lamentations 3:25-26

Yesterday's grace is not for today. The soul needs to quietly wait upon the Lord with each new dawn, receiving fresh daily bread and living waters to replenish dependent relationship.

It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth.
Let him sit alone and keep silent,
Because God has laid it on him;
Let him put his mouth in the dust
There may yet be hope.
Let him give his cheek to the one who strikes him,
And be full of reproach.
~ Lamentations 3:27-30

The world is filled with suffering, disappointment, and people who let us down (or worse). Here is our job description: accept it all as allowed by God, trusting His purpose without complaint.

Though He causes grief,
Yet He will show compassion
According to the multitude of His mercies.
For He does not afflict willingly,
Nor grieve the children of men.
~ Lamentations 3:30-33 (NKJV)

Here is our hope: God's mercies are greater in scope and mightier and more abundant than the griefs and afflictions. We rest in the assurance that He asks far less than He gives and loves.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I appreciate hearing from you. Questions are welcome. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments or e-mail me—my address is
buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com.
Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Image source: jeffpaschall.com

Difficult Sayings

Then I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter.
~ Revelation 10:10 (NKJV)

Difficult Sayings

The Bible has many difficult sayings. Some seem to be at odds with reason, some seem at odds with other portions of Scripture, and some simply defy us to apply them.

If you've been around this site even a little bit, you know how sweet I consider the words of the Bible. My heart leaps when the living Word speaks to me. But I'll admit that my stomach can likewise do a flip when God's Word issues a challenge such as Philippians 3:12-13 (NIrV):

I have not yet been made perfect.
But I move on ...
I forget what is behind me.
I push hard toward what is ahead of me.

How does one move on to grasp the impossible when one is not yet perfect enough to touch the reachable? How does one sufficiently forget and travel light—light enough to follow hard after Christ without falling out of step?

Anyone else care to share what difficult sayings you've run across in the Bible?

How great You are, our God. How small we are. How much we need You to understand, to reconcile, and to apply Your Word. Please give us such great love for you that we never grow weary in the effort.

I appreciate hearing from you. Questions are welcome. Reply to BuildingHisBody.com comments or e-mail me—my address is
buildingHisbody [plus] @gmail.com.
Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
Image source: holytrinitytunstead.co.uk

How Shall We Sing?

“After silence, that which comes nearest
to expressing the inexpressible is music.”
~ Aldous Huxley

How Shall We Sing?

By the rivers of Babylon,
There we sat down, yea, we wept
When we remembered Zion.
We hung our harps
Upon the willows in the midst of it.
For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song,
And those who plundered us requested mirth,
Saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"
How shall we sing the LORD's song In a foreign land?
~ Psalms 137:1-5 (NKJV)

Observe the pain here. The Babylonians have ransacked Jerusalem (Mt. Zion), burned the temple, and taken surviving Jews captive to a foreign land. The people of song have no song left in themselves and have hung their harps upon the willows to weep with deepest mourning. Their captors now taunt them: “Go ahead, sing us one of your famous songs. None of those sad songs, either. Sing us one of the happy songs about Zion—your pride and joy.”

Sunday morning is our time of song. All across the globe, we come before the Lord with praise and worship and testimony set to music of every kind. But some of us may not feel like singing. Earth is a foreign land to citizens of the heavenly Zion. With heavy hearts we wonder how shall we sing of home when we are captives in enemy territory?

What was the psalmist’s answer to tormentors?

If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
Let my right hand forget its skill!
If I do not remember you,
Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
If I do not exalt Jerusalem
Above my chief joy.
Remember, O LORD, against the sons of Edom
The day of Jerusalem,
Who said, "Raze it, raze it,
To its very foundation!"
O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed,
Happy the one who repays you as you have served us!
~ Psalms 137:5-8 (NKJV)

And so we also look our tormentor the devil squarely in the eye, pick up our music and say, “You taunt us by reminding us where we are and where we long to be. So we will indeed sing of our home, and we will throw your derision back in your face with song of your fate. For the Lord has promised good to us and damnation to you. We shall call to mind our home and our God,
and
we
shall
SING!”

Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
#powerofwords
Image source: jeffpaschall.com

Wrestling With God

“Faith is not belief. Belief is passive. Faith is active.”
~ Edith Hamilton

Wrestling With God

Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And [the Man] said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks." But [Jacob] said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!"
~ Genesis 32:24-26 (NKJV)

For about the last year, the above image has hung before my writing desk, directly above the monitor. I placed next to it a card with the single word ENDURANCE.

I put it there because ministry is difficult work. When I question if I’m effective, if I’m doing what God wants me to do, if I’m wasting my time, God is faithful to affirm me, direct me, rebuke me. And undergirding everything, I feel Him gently prodding me on and encouraging me to stay the course. This picture of my Lord has provided encouragement for me to do so.

I thought “endurance” a good thing. It accepts and trusts that the Lord works all things for good without resisting Him.

But recently, the Lord made me aware that He does not ask me to endure, He asks me to persevere. Endurance is too passive. Perseverance is active. Endurance tolerates. Perseverance engages. Endurance is dropping anchor and waiting out the storm. Perseverance is to batten down the hatches and ride into the storm.

Jacob did not simply endure the Lord pushing him. Jacob locked himself into an embrace with the Lord and refused to lie down until he’d been blessed.

Jacob’s blessing was a new name: Israel. It means “prevails with God.”

I want to prevail. I want to do it with God. I’m willing to persevere.

Above my desk, I have replaced the word "ENDURANCE" with the word "Perseverance."

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
~ James 1:2-4 (NKJV)

On a personal note, to my precious friend Denise:
Dear one, I am thinking of you as I write this.

Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, 2010, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
#encouragement
Artwork: “Road to the Cross” by Brian Jekel, © 2007 DaySpring Cards, MasterPeace Collection

Faithfulness, in Forty Words

This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
~ Lamentations 3:21-23 (NKJV)


Faithfulness, in Forty Words

Faithfulness is character's choice, not a feeling.

Faithfulness is slogging through slough until one sloughs off the slough.

Faithfulness is clinging to the Lord—amid comfort, amid affliction—because He first proves Himself faithful in the face of our infidelity.

If forty words wasn't enough, you'll find more great words at the blog carnival hosted today by Bridget Chumbley on Faithfulness.

And here is God my Father's faithfulness, painted in song.



Great is Thy Faithfulness *

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not;
As Thou hast bee Thou forever will be.

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Great is Thy Faithfulness!
Great is Thy Faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!


Your feedback is appreciated. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.
#encouragement
* Lyrics, "Great is Thy Faithfulness" by Thomas O. Chisholm, © 1923