Decide To Endure With God’s Help - Making Tough Decisions with Confidence

“The Spirit of the LORD came on him, so that he became Israel’s judge and went to war. The LORD gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him.” (Judges 3:10, NIV)

My oldest son is a runner. I am a jogger. Okay, more like a fast walker. When my son and I used to “run” together, we were next to each other for about two seconds before he took off. While we were doing the same activity and headed in a similar direction, our pace and race looked much different from one another. Endurance was required for each of us. From an onlooker’s perspective it probably looked like I was slacking, compared to the speed of my son. There was variance in how our endurance presented outwardly, but we both were exercising it fully.

Whether you are exercising, or dealing with tension in a relationship, or facing life-altering news, endurance is needed. As we remember God’s commands, obey Him, and take responsibility for our actions, the next wise decision we can make is the decision to endure.

We don’t just want to start off strong, we want to finish strong.

Endurance is not quickly developed. It takes consistency over time. Repeated daily decisions in the same direction create patterns and habits. It’s never too late to stop a destructive habit and start a life-giving one. Not easy, but possible! It requires leaning into God’s sufficiency as you carry out His commands. Even in the presence of difficulties, even when you have to wait longer than you want to, deciding to endure will help you take the necessary steps to build and fortify the kind of faith that will be required in the coming days.

The first judge that God mercifully provided to His rebellious people, in Judges 3, was named Othniel. He went out to battle, and the Lord gave him success. The land had peace for forty years as a result of his obedience and submission to the One True God. The Holy Spirit supernaturally enabled Othniel to overpower enemy forces and free his people.

There was an availability in Othniel to be used by God for a specific, difficult assignment. The task was much too big for him on his own strength. Thankfully, Othniel wasn’t asked to carry out the task by himself, but through the divine empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

Like Othniel, when we’re in a battle of some sort, let’s depend on the power of the Holy Spirit who enables us to overcome. We may not fight on the frontlines against a threatening enemy to our nation, but we each battle defeating thoughts and a stampede of lies that threaten to derail us as we move forward into what God has planned for us. “Let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:4, CSB).

When you want to give up on your God-given assignment, decide to strengthen your resolve to endure with faithful thoughts and courageous actions as you rely on the Holy Spirit to help you. He is able to uphold and sustain you. Abide under the shelter of God’s Sovereignty. Trust Him to supply what you need for the task at hand, and then run (or jog or fast walk) the race He has called you to.

What would it look like to exercise endurance in your current season?

Prayer:

Dear God: It’s hard to keep going when I feel discouraged or frustrated. Help me exercise endurance when I’m tempted to give up. Show me the next step to take that will honor You and advance Your Kingdom. I want to follow through on my commitments and not give up when things are hard. Thank You for never giving up on me and for enduring the cross so that I could be forgiven and restored. In Jesus’ name, Amen.