S77P2 – The courage of the saints: persistent
2 Chr. 15:5-7
In those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for great disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands. They were broken in pieces. Nation was crushed by nation and city by city, for God troubled them with every sort of distress. But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.
The enemy army was quickly approaching, and the catapult had yet to be set. It normally took about ten men to do so. They had just begun to pull the ropes when the troops came over the last hill. Halfway through their work, flaming arrows entered striking distance. First, one man retreated because he thought there would not be enough time to launch the catapult before the advancement reached them. As the seconds ticked and the arrows got closer, one man after another joined the retreat. Before they knew it, their team of ten had become a remnant of just four. Against all odds, that remnant pulled off the impossible. The catapult was launched, and the enemy began to fall back.
We have been in the end times for centuries, but that does not mean that we have centuries left to do our good work for the kingdom. Time is of the essence. The enemy will hurl his flaming arrows in our direction and try to make us retreat. He wants us to think that we cannot manage fending off his attacks while we keep our hands busy in our kingdom labor. We cannot think that it is just too late to see the fruits of our labor. We must have the courage to continue the good work even while our fortifications appear to be crumbling. The lie of the enemy tells us that the battle is hopeless and inevitably lost. The truth of God tells us that the battle already has been won, and our fortifications will not be breached.
Good saintly courage will prompt us to continue pressing forward for the kingdom regardless of the opposition we face. We may encounter real physical danger, but that does not matter. We may encounter intense spiritual warfare, but that does not matter. We may suffer genuine pain for the cause of Christ, but that does not matter. The enemy cannot defeat us no matter how dire the circumstances appear. We only need be of good courage and continue our kingdom labor to see this truth manifest. Father, give us good saintly courage to continue the fight no matter what comes up against us, being persistent in our good work until the end.