Jeremiah 12:5
“‘If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, Then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, In which you trusted, they wearied you, Then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?” NKJV
Many times we recognize that God tests our faith. However, there are times when God will also test our ability to endure the trials in our life. One main reason for this is because God raises us to learn to outdo and outrun the enemy. 1 Kings 18:45-46 says,
“In a little while the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy shower. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel. Then the hand of the Lord was on Elijah, and he girded up his loins and outran Ahab to Jezreel.” NASB
Jezreel is a place we reach when we have overcome the enemy and, with the might of the Holy Spirit, we arrive to our place of dominion and favor, according to the promises of a God for us. By this time, we have learned to not allow anyone else to take the place that is rightfully ours. But this takes determination and endurance, knowing that no matter how long it may take us, we will reach the place where we receive what God said is ours.
Matthew 25:1-4, 10 talks about the well thought out planning and preparation of the wise virgins who took enough oil with them when they set out to meet the bridegroom and enter in with Him to the wedding feast. They took enough oil to wait however long necessary and in their planning they chose to prevent running out of oil. But the foolish virgins didn’t do that. They thought the groom would show up in the next hour and ended up running out of oil. In other words, they didn’t count the cost of the wait for the arrival of the groom. The Scripture says,
“1’Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 4 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept...10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.”
NKJV
Luke 14:28-30 also says,
28 “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’” NASB
Endurance is an important fruit of the spirit that we must acknowledge and even ask God to help grow in it. Another word for endurance is longsuffering and it is necessary that we endeavor to be developed in this fruit of the spirit because there is no law (no legalism or accusation of the enemy against us that can keep us from reaching our destiny when we use the time of the wait to grow deep in the development of the fruits of the spirit in us).
Galatians 5:22-23 tells us,
“22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” NKJV (Italic emphasis mine).
All fruits of the Spirit help us in our temperance, which according to the online dictionary it means “moderation or self-restraint in action, statement, etc., self-control. Habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion...”That is why 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 also tells us,
“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we do it for an imperishable crown.” NKJV
This happened to Joseph. He was given some dreams when he was still a teenager, and God showed him that he was going to rule and reign over other people. But he went through a series of events that tested his endurance for and helped him develop his temperance that was going to be necessary when he reached his appointed time to walk in what God had promised him.
Psalm 105:17-20 shows this,
“He sent a man before them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. They afflicted his feet with fetters, He himself was laid in irons; Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the Lord tested him. The king sent and released him, The ruler of peoples, and set him free.” NASB
But his period to be developed in longsuffering or endurance lasted over a decade until the time when God finally released him from his test. But how did this development serve him as well as his brothers who were used of the enemy to oppress him and obstruct him from his dreams? This period of development was also a period of preparation that made him a very valuable person for the time God had intended to use him to not only save the lives of people, but also to have understanding of what God had done in him and had also intended to do through him. Having this understanding, he needed not to put the blame on his brothers.
Genesis 50:19-21 instructs us,
19 “Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. 21 Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.”NKJV
Some of you may be wondering why things have not manifested in your life yet? You have prayed, fasted, obeyed with faithfulness, and still wondered why you haven’t seen things come to pass yet. But others are about to enter a process and God is letting you know that part of what God is testing in your life is going to be your endurance because you will learn to outrun the enemy in the end to the place of dominion like Elijah did.
For those of you who are still in your race, believing God for your breakthrough I want to tell you that you’re not alone. God is with you and He wants you to not give up. Don’t throw in the towel, don’t abort your assignment because you may feel it’s been too long and exhausting. He sees your faithfulness and you will receive strength to make it to the finished line.
In the Book of Revelation, God’s messenger mentions the seven different rewards that are available to those who overcome with obedience to God’s instructions. You can see them in chapters 2-3. But Revelation 3:11 gives us the encouraging hope that our test is about to end. It says,
“Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast to what you have, that no one may take your crown.” NKJV
To God alone be all the glory.**
Definition of “temperance” provided by dictionary.com
