June 2

Today's Reading:  2 Chronicles 17; John 13:1-20

Today’s Thoughts: Endurance to the End

"For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:" Hebrews 10:36

I turned off my computer and saw a couple of fingerprint marks right in the middle of my screen. I pulled my shirt sleeve over my hand and began to rub the screen, the marks were still there; I used a paper towel, the marks were still there; I grabbed a dish towel and rubbed some more. They were still there but were beginning to fade. I hate to admit it but my wrist began to tire and I had to stop, then start again. I worked diligently for several minutes to get the fingerprints off my screen. Normally I would not associate this type of task with the word "endurance" but in this case, it took a while to clean my screen, a small thing in the big picture. I sometimes hear the Lord quietly say to me, "Be faithful in (and keep working on) the little things."

We grow in our walk with the Lord by persevering in the day-to-day tasks that require our patience and endurance. The hardest tests of endurance are often disguised as the monotonous tasks in life. I must admit that I seriously considered just how badly I wanted my computer screen clean. Would I settle for just enough to get by, or would I keep going until the spots were gone completely? Sometimes I think that we are faced with the same question when God begins working on our “spots”. Will we persevere with Him? Do we have the endurance to keep going through the hard times?

The writer of Hebrews mentions more than once our need for endurance. We "have need of endurance" to ultimately receive the promises of God. I wonder how often we get to the edge of the promise land and stop walking. There was a reason the Lord kept telling Joshua to go in and take the land that had been given to them. It took endurance and perseverance to keep walking, to keep taking one day at a time, and to stay focused on the goal. From fingerprint smudges to promise lands, the test for each one of us is whether or not we will keep working until the task is finished. The Lord is so good to give us the goal, and He will lead us every step of the way. However, we must be willing to not only step out but also to keep on stepping forward.

Are you praying for specific goals? Has the Lord given you a glimpse of the promise land He has for you? Do not stop moving towards it. Pray for endurance. Pray for perseverance. And remember, the training often comes in the little tasks of the day. Take every opportunity to see a job through to its completion and learn how to lean on the Lord for support and guidance. You never know when the day will come that you take that first step into your land of promise.

Dear Daily Disciples Devotional Subscriber,

Thank you for reading our daily devotionals. We appreciate your support and wanted to let you know of our upcoming Bible Study Webcast called “Victory in the Valleys.” Regardless of your location, you can join this study and participate with us via your computer. It is very easy to use! The study starts Thursday, June 5, 2008. For more information, please call 800-992-0369 or email us at info@dailydisciples.org.  Click here or on the image below to register!