Is this beginning to feel more like we are enduring a long war than a short race? Ephesians 6 tells us we’ve been in a serious war all along.
“We are wrestling…against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly [supernatural] sphere” (Eph. 6:12 AMPC).
It’s time to fight, to endure by praising God, beloved ones.
Singing Christ’s Hope
As we sing praise to God, let’s sing of His Word-revealed character. Let’s sing Christ’s hope, through the gospel. Singing praise to Him is a God-glorifying, Christ-exalting weapon in today’s war of faith endurance!
Be thou my battle shield, sword for my fight;
be thou my dignity, thou my delight,
thou my soul’s shelter, thou my high tow’r:
raise thou me heav’n-ward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.
Be Thou My Vision, Ancient Irish, ca. 700
Endure by praising God for His character
One Biblical way to endure is to praise Him continually for who He reveals Himself to be in Scripture. In a song lyric on constant repeat, He tells us to “give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” (1 Chron. 16:34 ESV)
Lord, help me to sing praise to You, even when I don’t feel like it.
Fill my heart with Your Word and help the words to become my own. Convince me and stir me, until I am overflowing into praise.
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
naught be all else to me, save that thou art–
thou my best thought by day or by night,
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
Endure by praising God for what He is doing
For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations (Ps. 100:5 ESV).
If His faithfulness extends to all generations, that means He is sovereignly acting in this war right now, in this generation. If His goodness, steadfast love, and faithfulness endure and He hasn’t changed, He is doing something good, perfectly loving, and faithful, right?
For Job, many things did not endure. Job lost his relationships, house, possessions, health, job, reputation. You name it. He endured suffering as it all disappeared. Was the Lord good, loving, and faithful to Job in that war? What does He say about Himself?
Lord, what are You telling me in Job 38-42 today? Help me to surrender my own understanding. Show me who You are.
I’m desperate. Help me to sing praise to You for what You are doing because Your steadfast love endures forever, even in this war.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
thou mine inheritance, now and always:
thou and thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my treasure thou art.
Endure by looking to Jesus
Our Savior, the suffering servant, promises we too will suffer.
And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved (Mt. 10:22 ESV).
He also warns that some will “endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away” (Mk. 4:17).
Jesus, help me to deny myself and take up Your cross and follow You, no matter what this war brings (Mt. 16:24).
Help me to look to You and praise You, my source and perfecter of enduring faith, when I feel faithless. In Your saving and sanctifying name I pray, amen.
Jesus is “the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2 ESV).
High King of heaven, my victory won,
may I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heav’n’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
The war is on. Is it raging for you today? Let’s sing praise to Him, dig into His Word deeply, and, by His grace-filled perfecting of our faith, endure this war through praise interruptions into each day’s suffering. If you or any friends would be helped by a playlist of His Scripturally-saturated songs to help us sing aloud and fight, quickly share and sign up!
