November 18, 2020 - Hebrews 10:36 News Flash: You Need Endurance

 Hebrews 10:36 reads:
"Patient endurance is what you need now, for you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise." (Conflation of NLT & NASB95, w note) 

This passage was originally written for Christians who were being persecuted for their faith. Aside from persecution, we all get tired of doing the right thing--especially when others don't understand the roadblocks we face. There could be obstacles in our family, our job, our health... any number of things. The challenge is still the same: to endure. 

"Endurance here literally means "to wait under." When I was younger, I loved to backpack. But it was always a relief to set my backpack down for the night, and set up camp. That was a planned burden. What about the unplanned, unwelcomed burdens? Where do we drum up that kind of endurance to "wait under?"

The verse before says, "...do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward." Our confidence is rooted in the past. Jesus' blood was shed for us so we can come into God's presence with our prayers (Hebrews 10:19).

Today's verse points to the future as well: "so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise." That promise is an eternal future with God the Father, God the Son, (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. (Hebrews 9:15).

Those gifts from the past and the future mean nothing without faith since, "My righteous one shall live by faith." The good news is that you don't have to grit your teeth and drum up the faith to trust God. Ephesians 2:8 tells us that even our faith comes to us as "the gift of God." 

Father in heaven, there are times when it seems so much easier to just give in and give up. Give us the grace to patiently "wait under." Revive our memories of Your Son's sacrifice for us; pull our gaze toward the promise of heaven. Thank you for giving us the faith we needed to start this race, to finish this race, and to have endurance we need for today. In Jesus' name, Amen.