endurance

The Endurance Race

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When I was in school, I ran in track. There were a number of different events that you could run. There was the one hundred-meter dash, the two hundred-meter dash and the four hundred-meter dash—but I did not run any of those. The event that I ran was the 1600-meter or the one-mile race. When the gun was shot, signaling everyone to start, the runners would begin dispersing. Some would get a head start, but it did not matter who started first, it mattered who finished. And many did not finish.

In the 1600-meter race, you have to go around the track four times. After the first lap you would already be exhausted. Your heart would be pounding, your legs would be aching, your chest would be burning and every muscle was yelling to “Give Up”! You wanted nothing more than to sit down beside the track and rest, but you knew that if you sat down and did not finish the race all of the effort you had put into running the race would be wasted.

And so the Christian journey is a race. It is not a walk. It is not a stroll in the park. It is not even a one hundred-meter race. It is the endurance race. Paul wrote about this in Hebrews 12:1.

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

Paul is saying, “Look, we are surrounded by a great crowd of spectators, so let us lay aside the sins which so easily entangle us, and let us run the race, and let us not just run it, but let us run it with endurance.” We cannot run just half-way around the track. And we are not running the one-hundred meter dash, we are in an endurance race.

Unfortunately, today, there are many who begin to run, but do not run with endurance. In this article, we will study how we can run with endurance.

The Devil’s Traps

In the great controversy that is being waged over each soul, the devil’s mission is to see that you and I, and the rest of the world, are not saved and do not finish the endurance race. He has many traps in which he tries to entangle men. He first works to prevent them from starting the race, and he is successful with almost the entire world. He leads men and women to think that there are just too many trials and obstacles to follow the Lord all of the way, and allures them with the pleasures of sin so that they never even start the race.

However, some do begin the race. All who profess Christianity have started to run the race. To these, the devil comes with many temptations to try to make them give up and not run with endurance. He tries to overwhelm them by bringing to mind the trials and hardships that may be in the way.

It is like when you are running a literal race. Your heart is pounding as hard as it has ever pounded, because you are giving it everything you have. Your mouth, throat and lungs burn with every heaving breath. Your legs feel like there are no muscles there and you are just going through the motions. And if you start to think about those things, you are going to give up and you will not make it to the finish line. If you are going to run with endurance, you cannot think about the pain that you may be going through, you must focus on reaching the finish line.

For those who may have been running the race for a longer time, the devil brings a more subtle temptation. He points to the problems within the church, and he says, “Look at all of the problems even among those who claim to be God’s remnant people. It is no use. You might as well give up now.”

Then there are other times that he comes even more deceptively. He does not ask us to give up everything. We may continue to come to church and profess to be Christ’s child, but he persuades us to stop running. He tempts us with self-confidence or discouragement so that we stop advancing in our Christian walk. You cannot win a race by standing still. And so we are not going to win the Christian race if we are not advancing. We may think, “Well, everything is all right.” But if we are not gaining new heights every day, we are not truly running the race.

The Christian’s life can be compared to a plant. It is either growing or it is dying. The minute a tree stops sending its roots out farther and farther to find nourishment, it begins to decay. And if we stop growing we have actually given up and are not running with endurance.

Ye Have Need of Endurance

If we are going to finish the race and make it successfully to the end of our Christian journey, we must run, but not just run, we must run with endurance. Paul spoke of this again in Hebrews 10:35–37:

“Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: ‘For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.’”

Paul says, once you have begun, do not give up. We must develop endurance which will allow us to stand through the difficult times which are ahead. We need an endurance that will take us all the way to the end. Because, if we do not have endurance and we give up, even just two steps before the finish line, all of the sweat and strain we have put into the race will be in vain.

When I was running, there were times when an individual would get a head start. He would be ahead of everyone else and still running strong. It appeared as though he was certain to win. But if he stopped, just ten feet before the finish line, he would not win any prize. He did not endure until the end. It is not speed that we need. It is not important where we are in comparison to our brothers and sisters who are running the race (we are not racing against one another). What is important is that we finish the race, and everyone who finishes this race is going to be a winner. There will not be a first or a second place. All who have endurance and finish the race will win the prize.

Why does Paul say endurance is so much needed now? Because Jesus is coming soon! “He who is coming will come and will not tarry,” is God’s promise. And the goal of each one of us is to be ready when Jesus comes and hear His voice say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord.” We cannot afford to give up now: the stakes are much too high!

Today, as the closing scenes of earth’s history are unfolding before us, and we know that we are living in the very last days, now, as never before, we especially need endurance. For it is at the end of a race when endurance is most needed.

When you are near the very end of the race, and you only have about a quarter of a lap to go, that is the most difficult time. Yes, you are near the end, but you still have to press through when the pain is the absolute worst. And so, right now, we do not know how soon Jesus is going to come, but we know that we are very near His coming, and we need endurance as at no other time.

How to Endure

In Paul’s letter to the Hebrews, he does not leave us with only the truth that we must run with endurance (for we must if we are to win the race). But he tells us how we can run with endurance. “And let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1, 2.

There is only one way we can run the endurance race successfully and it can be summarized into this one phrase, “Looking unto Jesus.” If we have our eyes fixed on Jesus and we are following the example of His overcoming life, we are going to endure until the end. However, if our eyes are not riveted on Jesus, no matter our profession, we will not endure to the end.

It is the same as a race. From the second the starting shot is fired until you cross the finish line, you must focus on one thing. There is not room in your mind for many different things when you are running. Your focus must be on one thing, and one thing only: reaching the finish line. When you are half-way through the first lap, you are thinking “In three and a half laps I am going to make it to the finish line.” And then it is three laps, and then two, and each step leads you closer to the finish line. You cannot think about those behind you or you might slow down and you cannot think of those in front of you because you might speed up and not be able to endure to the end of the race. If you think about your pounding chest, or your aching muscles, you will give up. The only way to endure is to have your eyes and your mind focused on the finish line. And it is the same in our Christian race.

If our eyes are focused on anything other than Jesus we are not going to endure to the end. We may profess to run, or we may be able to make it part of the way, but if our eyes are not firmly riveted on Jesus, the center of our faith, if our thoughts and affections are not focused on Him and what He has done, we will not be able to endure the trials that encompass us. Somewhere, along the path, we will give up.

Jesus tried to illustrate this important lesson to Peter in an experience that is recorded in Matthew 14. The story begins after Jesus fed the five thousand. There was a great tumult among the people who were determined that they were going to take Jesus by force and make Him their king. Anticipation was thick in the air as excited voices repeated the many wonderful things that could happen to their nation if Jesus was their King. “Here is One who can feed all of our armies and heal all the wounded. We would never need to lose a man. We would be able to conquer all of the world. We must make Him our king!”

This was the moment the disciples had been waiting for. They had long dreamed of being rulers of the people, respected by all, instead of the poor followers of a reviled teacher from Nazareth. They mingled with the crowd urging on the excited company.

And then, right as the multitude was rushing forward, ready to take Jesus by force, Jesus, in commanding tones, dismissed the assembly. He told the disciples to get in the boat and to go to the other side of the sea. It was perhaps the hardest command from their Master that they had ever had to obey, but He spoke with authority that could not be disobeyed.

As they sailed on the peaceful sea, their minds were in turmoil. Their thoughts were not on Jesus and the miracle of mercy that He had performed that day. Instead, they were thinking about what could have been, and doubts began to fill their minds with discontent. At first they did not notice the storm clouds gathering in the sky, but it was not long until the sea changed from peaceful ripples, to raging waves. They fought to keep their boat adrift, but soon it was evident that they were losing the battle against the mighty sea. By about three in the morning, they were exhausted and ready to give up. It was then that they saw a figure coming across the billowing waves toward them, and they were very afraid. Amidst their cries of terror, Jesus said, “It is I, be not afraid.”

“And Peter answered Him and said, ‘Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ So He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’” Matthew 14:28–31.

As long as Peter’s eyes were centered on Jesus he was safe, but when he turned his attention to the wind and the waves that were breaking around his feet, fear overtook him and he began to sink.

Jesus has bidden to each one of us, as He did Peter, “Come.” And as long as we keep our eyes fixed on Him, the author and finisher of our faith, we are safe. But the minute we take our eyes off Him, to look to circumstances, to those around us or to the trials that we worry are ahead, we begin to sink.

Easy to Start, Difficult to Endure

When we came to the last night of our seminar in Koforidua, Ghana, we gave an altar call inviting people to go all the way with Jesus. Between 150 and 200 people came forward, choosing to keep the Sabbath and be part of God’s last day people. Many answered the call, but many of that number took their eyes off Jesus, and did not endure. There was a good number at church the next Sabbath, but not nearly all of those who had come out of their chairs and started on the race. It is one thing to hear the voice of Jesus call, and to say, “Yes, I will come,” but it is another thing altogether to endure. And it does not matter if we say we are going to come, if we do not endure we are going to sink like Peter.

Christ has not promised us smooth sailing. There will be waves lapping about our feet or towering above us, and the devil frequently tries to get us to look to these troubles. How easy it is for us to start focusing on our trials, discouragements and troubles, but the minute we do that, our eyes are moved from Jesus. The more we look to them, the larger they become because we start to sink and our troubles get closer and closer to us as we begin to be buried among them. However, our trials were not given to overcome us, they were actually given to strengthen us. James wrote these encouraging words which we should ever keep in mind. “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience (endurance).” James 1:2, 3.

James says, “Do not look to your troubles. Do not mourn over them. Instead, rejoice in them, because it is through trials that the Lord is seeking to teach us how to endure.” Our trials were not given to drown us, they were given to teach us the lessons we need to learn so that we can endure until the very end.

But, too often, instead of allowing our trials to increase our faith, we start focusing on the trials and we allow them to overcome us. I have seen it so often while working as a Bible Worker. I have met people who are so thrilled when they first hear the Bible truths. One man, I remember well, had discovered the truth of the Sabbath from His own study. However, he had never found anyone who was keeping it, so he was not keeping it either. But, when we studied the Sabbath, he was so excited to find that there were others who kept it, that he made the commitment that he wanted to start keeping the Sabbath. He ran for a short time. However, when the trials began to mount, he began to take His eyes off Jesus. Although he had once been so thrilled to find the truth, it was not long until he decided that the only thing he could do was to start working on the Sabbath again. He did not run with endurance.

Look Up!

The plan of salvation is described in many ways, but my favorite is when it is described the most simply. The following verses contain the framework of the plan of salvation in three short words. “Who hath declared this from ancient time? Who hath told it from that time? Have not I, the Lord? And there is no God else besides Me, a just God and a Savior; there is none besides Me. Look unto Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! for I am God, and there is no other.” Isaiah 45:21–22. [Emphasis supplied.]

God’s invitation is open to all. It is not difficult. He simply says, “Look to Me.” Anyone can be saved if they will turn their eyes to their Savior. Only He can save to the uttermost all who come to Him.

However, the devil is in a battle for each soul, and he has many methods which he uses to draw our eyes from our Savior. If it is not our trials that we look upon, he tries to get us to focus upon the common things of life so we have no time to look to Jesus. Jesus said, “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.” Luke 21:34.

There are many other things that the devil brings to us to draw our thoughts away from Christ. Especially now, in the days in which we are living, the devil is working with even greater energy to see that you and I do not endure until the end.

In Isaiah 17, Isaiah saw in prophetic vision the time that we now live in. A time when the majority is not enduring until the end, and many, even of those who profess the truth, are being shaken out. In his vision he saw an olive tree and, on this tree, there were only two or three olives in the top branches and four or five in the fruitful branches. All of the rest had been shaken off. But then he tells us how we can endure the shaking that is going on all around us today. “At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel. And he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands, neither shall respect that which his fingers have made, either the groves, or the images.” Isaiah 17:7, 8.

Isaiah saw who would endure this terrible shaking, and it is those who are looking to their Maker. These will not look to their trials, disappointments, the cares of this life, to other men or the problems in the world or in the church; they will be looking to their Maker.

And as we look to our Maker, as our eyes are fixed upon the One who gave His life for you and me, we will be strengthened to endure to the very end. And so Paul says, “Let us run the race. And let us not just run it, but let us run it with endurance.” Oh, how I want to endure. I do not want to be one of those who falls by the side of the track, who does not make it to the finish line. Let us not look to our aching legs. Let us not focus on our burning chest or our heart that is pounding. Let us look to the Author and Finisher of our faith.

Patience, Please

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Be careful for what you wish; you just might get it. Patience is a common request made of God, and yet, are we sure we know what we are in for? It is, of course, a necessary Christian virtue, but it is not for the weak. Unlike Egypt, which was built for the Egyptians on the backs of slaves, no one will build patience for us. Patience will be built by the perspiration of each individual, fervent Christian. No, Christianity is certainly not a faith for the faint-hearted. When Christ said, “Take up your cross and follow me,” [Matthew 16:24.] He was not talking about the pendants that are so commonly seen in the secular Christianity that is thriving nowadays. He was speaking of the perils, afflictions, and heartaches that are bound to follow any person who has the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

The “hurry-up-and-wait” patience that modern day America demands at their beckon call is not the patience that Christians are called to exhibit. The word “patience” comes from the Latin word patiencia, which means “to suffer and endure”. Patience in America means waiting in the check-out aisle on a Friday afternoon whether you like it or not. There is nothing in American living that would induce patience. We live in a fast-paced world; we have fast food, we drive fast cars, and we have super fast computers. We are programmed to be in a hurry. We are in such a rush that God, who created time, is sometimes too slow to fit into our overdrive schedules. We demand what we want or need right away, as if our lives were going to end if we did not get it now. Sometimes we get so impatient with God and charge on ahead of Him without knowing which way He wants us to go, all the while saying that we want to do His will.

God, who is infinitely patient, calls us back to reality, though, through the dead ends we run into when we run on ahead of Him. As Christians, we will have enough struggle in our lives simply in enduring the devil’s attacks; we certainly do not need to get in our own way, or God’s. Every decision in life from scheduling our day to deciding on a career is to be made with great care and prayer. Acting hastily and running ahead to grab something that God may not have in mind for us only serves as a setback. God is methodical and steady; He is in no rush and knows what is best for us and when it will be in our best interest. If we are in such a hurry that we run on ahead of God, we may find when we come to a dead end that He wanted us to take a left a few intersections ago. What then? We would have to retrace our steps, turn left, and then gain momentum on the course God had in mind for us before we even started on the journey. There is great wisdom in the saying “haste makes waste.”

We often ask for patience, pleading and begging with great fervency, and when God grants our request and commences building it in us, we gripe and moan over the hardship suddenly being heaped on our heads. I wonder if God ever looks down at us in utter exasperation with a look of, “Make up your mind; did you ask for it or not?” In His mercy, though, He will not let up until we have learned the lessons and have mastered the attribute. He knows the importance of patience in our lives. God knows that, while we are on earth, we will be afflicted on all sides. The Christian race is not a sprint; it is a long distance run requiring strength and stamina to endure the agony of the marathon. Patient endurance is needed to reach the finish line. We will ache and burn inside and out, in our relationships, our careers, our families, and in our spiritual lives. Satan is a fierce enemy who never tires of his tormenting. He will do everything in his power to break us. It is a lovely thought, though, that God uses the weapons of the enemy for His glory. But we must be willing to let Him. If we moan and groan and lose faith, the devil is defeating us.

Christ warned us that hardship paves the road of Christianity just as it did for the Saviour. “We are in a world of suffering. Difficulty, trial, and sorrow await us all along the way to the heavenly home.” Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, 459. Satan hates Christians as much as he did Christ. Until we go home to our heavenly Father, the devil will do everything in his power to make us miserable and, if possible, achieve our fall. God’s people are being watched constantly; is there a difference in what they see by way of a reaction to the hardship? Do they see God’s peace in us? Do they see our trust in a Father who is larger than anything afflicting us? Do they see Christ’s behavior and his forbearance?

God knows that a large portion of our happiness depends on how we respond in the times of trial. We will either bear the burden with a joyful heart, knowing that nothing comes to us except through Christ and that He is making us strong, or we bellyache and moan because life is so very miserable and get angry with God because life is not enjoyable. The difficulties are not going to be enjoyable; however, knowing that God is in them and He has a purpose for it all is a joyful thought and the burden is then borne not on our shoulders alone, but on His as well. James 1:2, 3 says: “Count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations [trials]; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” It is a matter of what is best for us, what we need to learn, that God allows us to be tried and tested. Anytime we wish to develop a spiritual strength, it comes by trials which will exercise the attribute we are asking God to grow in us. In other words, when we ask for patience, what we are truly asking for are the trials that will build that muscle. No matter what test we are undergoing, though, patience is something we will need in each. Patience does not mean just waiting till the Lord decides enough is enough; it is bearing the burden with a joyful heart and a quietness of spirit.

“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.” II Corinthians 4:8, 9. We can believe, say, and live this because Christ conquered the battle ahead of us. The human psyche is a funny thing. Before 1954, running a mile in under four minutes was said to be humanly impossible. Because of this “fact,” no human had ever been able to beat four minutes; many came dangerously close, but none made it. None, that is, until Roger Bannister. He made running history in 1954 at a meet at Oxford University where he broke the four-minute barrier by one second (back then they did not count nanoseconds). Since then, though, male athletes have made the mile in even less time than Bannister’s—because they knew it could be done. Christ’s life gives us knowledge that it can be done. His character and His triumphs over evil can be ours. The catch? It takes training. Bannister could never have accomplished the supposedly impossible without training. And was it fun and easy and painless? No way! Will it be fun and easy and painless for us? No! But it can be done! The main challenge is in developing the patience that is going to get us through it. It can be easily compared to the strict diet to which Bannister and other professional athletes must adhere in order to optimize their performance. It is the basis of their training. It is what allows them to maximize their training. Patience needs to be our diet. Patience is what is going to allow us to get the most out of our training.

It is through difficulty that God teaches us the lessons we need to learn. We can learn these lessons best if we are not spending our emotional, mental, and physical energies on worry, self-pity, and desperate efforts to change a circumstance outside of our control. Rather, we can put our efforts into biding through the trials and strengthening our faith in God. Yes, it does take lots of energy and dedication. Faith is an absolute to patience. Our ability to withstand the hardship that we face on earth is through the faith that we have in God—faith that He sent His Son to die for us that we may be saved: faith that Christ has conquered so we too may conquer: and faith that we cannot be touched by anything, except that God allows it and His allowance is to work out an end to our benefit. Without this knowledge, life for Christians would be over. And yet at times, it has not sunk down far enough to reach our hearts, or our patience and endurance would see a drastic turn for the better. A runner can push the pain out of mind to achieve the medal awaiting him at the finish line. We, too, can endure because we know that God has something far better awaiting us on the other side of the trial. We persevere, knowing that this too shall pass.

It is quite audacious for us to complain about our treatment here on earth; what servant would expect to be treated better than the master? Satan was working overtime on Christ during His brief time on earth. If the devil could get Jesus, our only chance at salvation, to fall, he would have claim as conqueror. And those three-plus decades were Satan’s only shot. He tortured Christ with every temptation, grief, peril, and pain he had at his command to effect Christ’s fall. From the moment of His birth, Jesus was wanted dead. He grew up poor, knowing the fatigue of physical labor. As an adult, He owned nothing, living a nomadic life in order to spread a truth rejected with vehemence by most, and in His darkest hour, deserted by every earthly companion; even His heavenly Father was being blocked from His vision. In Gospel Workers, 56, Ellen White says, “Angels of God stand amazed, and ashamed of this lack of self-denial and perseverance. While the Author of our salvation was laboring and suffering for us, he denied himself, and his whole life was one continued scene of toil and privation. He could have passed his days on earth in ease and plenty, and appropriated to himself the pleasures of this life; but he considered not his own convenience. He lived to do others good. He suffered to save others from suffering. He endured to the end, and finished the work which was given him to do. All this was to save us from ruin. And now, can it be that we, the unworthy objects of so great love, will seek a better position in this life than was given to our Lord? Every moment of our lives we have been partakers of the blessings of his great love, and for this very reason we cannot fully realize the depths of ignorance and misery from which we have been saved. Can we look upon Him whom our sins have pierced, and not be willing to drink with him the bitter cup of humiliation and sorrow?”

“All heaven is interested in the happiness of man. Our heavenly Father does not close the avenues of joy to any of His creatures.” Steps to Christ, 46.

It may seem that developing patience is more trouble than it is worth; yet God, in His infinite wisdom and mercy, is quite determined that we obtain this attribute. Although it may seem a strange thing to say in the face of the nature of the tools used to grow patience, God is very concerned with our quality of life. Not one person goes through life without feeling the terrible effects of sin. Some face the trials feeling fearful, weak, and bitter; others experience the inevitable sorrows patiently, knowing that God intends to use the devil’s attacks to His good purpose. They endure, and while remaining peaceful, are able to feel some degree of joy. Which class of people is happier? Obviously, those who endure the difficulties with patience. But we cannot do this without practice. Trials are unavoidable, and God wishes us to be at peace through them; one area where practice does indeed make perfect. On-the-job-training is the best way for God to teach us how to lean on Him and be patient. Nothing could be more effective in foiling the devil than to be gracious in trial and use his attacks to bring glory to God.

The patient endurance of those persecuted for their faith has been a testament through the ages to believers and unbelievers alike. However, their trials and suffering would not be noted whatsoever had they not the quietude and contentment that accompanied them; many, even unto death. No one admires anyone who moans and groans over their lot. The heroes whom we admire are those who accepted their fate without a word of complaint or despair. The attitude with which they underwent suffering is what defines them from others who have shared in the same agony. Although at the time we may not be staring down death in the presence of onlookers who would be affected by our placidity, we are being watched by others in our daily lives, most of the time without knowing it. They see how we respond to hardship; whether we are enduring quietly and trusting a loving heavenly Father with our best interest, or struggling with inconsolable doubt and frustration. Our lives are testimonies for others to see Christ’s strength, patience, peace, and joy. Once again, this takes practice, and both the devil and God will ensure that we have the practice we need. Our duty is to shake off Satan and let God conquer in our lives. “We are examples to others … we can see the importance, then, of having true faith, for it is the motive power of the Christian’s life and action.” The Signs of the Times, November 24, 1887. Through our patience, we may be giving someone else the opportunity to see just a glimpse of Christ and what He has to offer in the lives of every person.

Do not make light the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as a son. For what son is not disciplined by his father? (See Hebrews 12:5–7.) We serve a loving God who has our best interest at heart. He longs to see us at peace here on earth as well as for eternity. Anything that will achieve this end He will allow to come our way. It may at times be what we tend to call “tough love,” yet anything that comes from God is for our good, and we can thus patiently endure and lean on Him who carries the burden with us.

Sandra Rowlandson is part of the Landmarks team and can be reached at: sandrarowlandson@stepstolife.org.

Endurance

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How happy we are when something is all done—the trial is all finished, the work is all completed, sundown has come.

Moving day is not generally looked forward to with joy. I have not heard of anybody that likes to move. But, when the boxes are all unpacked, and we are sitting down with the pictures on the wall, we are tired but happy. It is done.

We can think of people with casts on. Several in my family have had broken bones. And I know that it is a happy day when the bone is healed and the cast is taken off. What a relief, to finally be able to scratch their skin again.

What about labor and delivery? How happy mothers are when the baby is finally in their arms and all the labor pains are over.

How happy the Israelites were when they were finally out of the wilderness and safely in the land of Canaan. They were so pleased to be out of the hot, dirty, sandy desert.

But the best illustration of all happened on resurrection morning. When Jesus came out of the tomb, how happy He was that our salvation was secured, that the horrors of the cross were over.

We love it when the work is done, when the trial is over. We like to be happy. We like the feeling when we have made it through a tough situation, that it is past and over! There is a sense of joy and of well-being once again.

But, often here on this earth, the trial is not over. We are not finished—we are just starting. We often wish we were at the end when we have only begun. You are moving, and it is midnight, you have been carrying boxes all day and you are exhausted and want to go to bed. So you search through boxes to find the sheets for the bed. Unfortunately, someone forgot to mark the contents on the box that had the sheets in it. It seems that there still are hundreds of boxes to look in. You cannot sit down yet, the job is not done. It is now you need endurance.

Or maybe it is 98º outside and under your cast it feels like 110º. Your skin is itching and it is weeks before the cast comes off. You have a long way to go and the way is tough. It is now you need endurance.

There was a time when the Israelites were in the wilderness. It was years before they would be in Canaan. They had to go through the middle of the wilderness. Sometimes you may feel like you are in a hot, dry wilderness, or in an ocean of difficulties. Jesus has promised, “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” Isaiah 43:2. Jesus will always be with you—how we need that today. We need His presence to be with us, because we are not there yet. We still have many mountains to climb.

In the midst of trials we have moments of peace, moments when we feel that for now everything is okay. But trials on this earth come again. We find ourselves in the furnace again and again. We need endurance.

In this article we will look towards the One who knows the most about endurance. “Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2.

The endurance of Jesus was based on the joy that He could see in the future. The future joy was so real to Him that He endured the tortures of Calvary and took no account of the mean remarks made of Him—He despised the shame.

We can learn about this kind of marvelous endurance by looking at various examples. First is the story of a man who did not pass the endurance test. He was a great man. He fought and won many battles with God. He had subdued self and won. But finally, even he was overcome. He got impatient and angry.

 

Moses ’ Failure

 

His name is Moses. We have a picture, in the Spirit of Prophecy, of his natural heart: “He was naturally impatient. But he had taken hold firmly of the grace of God and so humbly implored wisdom from heaven that he was strengthened from God and had overcome his impatience so that he was called by God the meekest man upon the face of the whole earth.” Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1, 313. How encouraging! Moses was not naturally a patient man, but he had to overcome his natural tendencies.

A sad time came in the life of Moses. He had been putting up with a stiff-necked and rebellious people for forty years. He had long endured their complaining, but he eventually became weary. What one is strong at first to resist, over time starts getting under a person’s skin, becoming difficult to bear. The storm continues to rage, and those that have stood against the apostasy for a long time, get weary. This is the situation that Moses was in. For forty years the people had complained and complained, and he was sick and tired of it. Do you ever get sick and tired of something? Moses did.

The Lord did something very interesting. We need to consider how the Lord deals with people, because sometime, He might deal with us that way.

The Lord had given them water out of the rock for forty years and they had all the water they needed. Just before they were ready to go into the promised land, the water stopped. The Lord wanted to test their endurance to see if it had increased. “The Lord caused the living streams to cease to prove His people again to see if they would endure the trial of their faith or would again murmur against Him.” Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1, 309. They were not in danger of dying of thirst. They were going into a country where they could buy water. So the Lord tested His people. He said, “I will stop the water. It’s been flowing for forty years. I will see if they will trust Me.” Oh, how He hoped. (Yes, the Lord has hopes for us.) He hoped His people would trust Him, but they failed the test. They murmured, they complained.

“And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord.” Numbers 20:3. They went on to complain about how their cattle were going to die. Then they uttered this most cutting remark, “Would God that we had died with our brethren.” They were talking about when their brethren, who were in direct rebellion against God and Moses, had died in the rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. The earth opened up and swallowed them alive. These people had the gall to say, “Oh, that we had died with our brethren.” They were really saying that these people, who were in direct rebellion against God, would have treated them better than Moses. Moses was bitterly disappointed. “Disappointment often leads to unbelief.” The Acts of the Apostles, 265. And Moses fell into unbelief. He thought, “Because they complained, the Lord would not let this last generation go into Canaan—all of them are not dead. Now here are their children complaining. Am I going to have to stay out here in this wilderness for many more years?” (See Patriarchs and Prophets, 417, 418.) As Moses started thinking, he became angry with the people. For forty years he had tried to show them the love of God. When they complained he tried to stop it. Here they were at it again.

It is hard to live with contrary people day after day. The record says, “He became weary with the continual murmuring of the people against him.” Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1, 310. They were continually murmuring, nagging and contradicting Moses. It was very frustrating to Moses, and by taking his eyes off of God, he made the mistake of taking it personally. Really the people were not murmuring against Moses but against God. Moses forgot that he was hidden under the shadow of God.

Do you ever run out of patience with people? It seems that someone else should be a better Christian. Certainly they know the right thing to do. You have witnessed to them. You have done everything you know. They do not seem to be responding. Sometimes we forget that the work is not ours, but God’s. By taking our eyes off of God, we make the same mistake Moses made—taking it personally.

Here is the story of how Moses gave into his frustrations: “And God said take the rod and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes, and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth unto them water out the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts water to drink.” Numbers 20:8. What was Moses to do? He was to take his rod, but he was not to strike the rock. He was to speak to the rock. He had struck the rock forty years earlier. But the rock was only to be smitten once. That rock represents Jesus, who was smitten once for us. Today, we only need to speak to Him and ask for the water of life. “To every soul, however sinful, Jesus says, If thou hadst asked of me, I would have given thee living water.” The Desire of Ages, 194. That water of life was purchased for us on the cross. Today we can receive it. But when He comes the second time, He will not be smitten again. That is what the Lord wanted to show with this wonderful illustration.

Verse nine says, “And Moses took the rod from before the Lord as He commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, ‘Hear now ye rebels, must we fetch you water out of this rock?’ And Moses lifted up his hand and with his rod he smote the rock twice. And the water came out abundantly and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.”

“Here Moses sinned. He became weary with the continual murmuring of the people against him.” Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1, 310.

 

Losing Sight of Our Helper

 

Where did Moses fail? Did he fail by telling a lie? Although he did not portray the character of Christ correctly, he did not actually lie with his words. When Moses angrily commanded the people: “Hear now ye rebels,” he was telling the truth—they were rebels. Even though what Moses said was the truth, it was offensive to God. “This accusation was true. But even truth is not to be spoken in passion or impatience. When He took it upon himself to accuse them, he grieved the Spirit of God and wrought only harm to the people. His lack of patience and self control was evident.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 417. The whole congregation saw him get mad. They heard the angry tones in his voice. God’s character was misrepresented. Why did Moses fall? “Wearied with the continual murmuring and rebellion of the people, Moses had lost sight of his Almighty Helper.” He took his eyes off of Jesus and looked at people. “It was by looking to themselves”—you can only look in one direction. If you look at people, you will lose sight of God. Even Moses was totally dependent upon the grace of God. “It was by looking to themselves, appealing to their own sympathies, that they unconsciously fell into sin, and failed to set before the people their great guilt before God.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 418, 419. No matter how long you have been a Christian, no matter how many battles in which you have stood firm for truth and righteousness, if you are not looking to Jesus, you will fall. Moses fell, and that is the most perfect example of that point. None of us have gone through what Moses went through. We are certainly not qualified—any of us—to say, “My Christian experience is so good that I’ve arrived now; I won’t fall.” If Moses fell, we can fall too.

I have asked the Lord, “If Moses failed, what about me?” Moses’ sin was very grievous, because he did not have to fall. He dishonored God’s sustaining power. In this instance, even though wicked, the people never received a rebuke from God. Only Moses and Aaron got the rebuke. “God did not on this occasion pronounce judgments upon those whose wicked course had so provoked Moses and Aaron. All the reproof fell on the leaders. Those who stood as God’s representatives had not honored Him.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 418.

 

No Excuse for Sin

 

In our world there are people that think it is okay to be impatient if you are tired enough. It is okay to sound harsh if you have had a hard day or have a headache. But God has never permitted that. He did not allow it in Moses and it is not alright today. “If we do not feel just as we want to, are we to fly into impatience, speaking those words that show that we have the attributes of Satan? We cannot afford to speak a harsh word or an unkind word, because we are standing right in view of the heavenly intelligences and we are fighting the battle with all the heavenly universe looking upon us; and how we grieve the heart of God when we deny Him in any way! The marks of the crucifixion in the hands of Christ show that He has graven us upon the palms of His hands.” Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, 803, 804.

There will not be one harsh word in heaven. If we are to be there, we must learn here not to speak harsh words. We can be patient no matter how tired, no matter what time it is and we are still moving, or how itchy the cast is, or anything else. There is no circumstance—nothing that can separate us from the sustaining power of God.

Moses did not have to fall. One of the greatest and most powerful promises I have ever found in the Spirit of Prophecy is to clarify this situation of Moses. “God has made ample provision for His people. And if they rely upon His strength, they will never become the sport of circumstances. The strongest temptation cannot excuse sin, however great the pressure brought to bear upon the soul. Transgression is our own act. It is not the power of earth or hell to compel anyone to evil. Satan attacks us at our weak points, but we need not be overcome, however severe or unexpected the trial. God has provided help for us, and in His strength we may conquer.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 421.

Never excuse yourself because of Moses. Moses took his eyes off of God. If Moses would have kept his eye on Jesus and the joy that was set before him, he would have had strength to endure.

The little things in life can draw our thoughts to heaven. Just the other day, I was walking by a field of grass beside my home. The grass was about a foot tall. There was a gentle breeze and it was bright and sunny outside. The grass was gently waving in the wind and sparkled, like diamonds, in the bright sunlight. It was beautiful! Instantly my mind went to this quotation: “I saw a field of tall grass most glorious to behold. It was living green and it had a reflection of silver and gold as it waved proudly to the King Jesus.” Early Writings, 18. I stopped and looked at that beautiful grass, and said, “Lord, I want to be there. I want to be in heaven, and see the grass waving to honor my Lord. I want to stand in heaven and know that I am there; that all temptation is forever gone and I am eternally secure because of you.” It was just a little thing, but the little things in life can remind us of heaven and help us to endure.

Each one of us have trials. We need to get our eyes off of the landscape of the trials of life and fix them on the joys of heaven. That will make the trials of life seem temporary, like they really are. Heaven is forever. Trials are temporary. When we are in the middle of the trial, when we are in the middle of the river, and the current is strong, when people’s hatred against us is so hard to bear, and we hear scoffing remarks that we know are not true, if we get to thinking about it, and take our eyes off Jesus, and start feeling sorry for ourselves—we are ready to fall.

We need to say, “Lord, I’m much weaker than Moses. I’m very weak. Please take my eyes and help me to focus them on you. You have promised that a trial never would come that I could not bear.” That is what He has promised: “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man, but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation make a way of escape that ye might be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13. It is true. God is faithful.

 

The Joy Before Him

 

Jesus was sustained by looking ahead to the joy that was set before Him. “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2.

What was the joy that He looked at? He thought about the joy He would have in the future. He concentrated on this joy. He kept His eye focused on that joy. That is how He endured the cross. And by focusing on the joy ahead of Him, He endured the cross.

Once there was a soldier. After he had fought for months, he was taken captive and put in one of the worst communist concentration camps. One of the things they did was very unpleasant and uncomfortable. They shoved him in a cage that was too small for him. They would keep him in there for days. Many of the soldiers did not survive the cruel treatment. But they never broke this man’s spirit. After he was released, he was interviewed. What was his secret? He said, “When I was in that uncomfortable cage, it was horrible. My whole body ached and I longed to stretch. Everything ached.” He said, “I would think of my wife, and what it would be like when I came home, and what she would say—how happy she would be.” He said, “I would think of that by the hour.” He liked to play golf. So as he lay in that little cage, he would practice his swing. In his mind he would play a round of golf in the golf course back home. He would think about every hole. One day he was released. In a few days he went and played a game of golf. He shot the best game he ever had. Amazing! He had been practicing, in a cage, for months how to swing that golf club, all the while looking forward to getting home.

What was the joy that Jesus was thinking about on the cross? “And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people; and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.” Isaiah 65:19. What was He thinking about on the cross? He was thinking about you. “The joy of My people”—was the focus of His thoughts. He said, “Some day they will be in My kingdom, and I will take all sorrow away from them.” Jesus endured, because He was thinking of the delight you would have in His kingdom. You were on His mind. He saw the happy looks that would be on your face, and He endured. “Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame.”

Do you know how you can endure? You can endure by thinking about Him. He endured by thinking about you—how happy you would be when He wiped all your tears away. You can endure by thinking about Him and what He went through for you. You will have strength to go through the trials of life, to be patient, to overcome all anger, all fretfulness. Jesus was pained with the cutting remarks that were said about Him, but He never murmured or complained. Friends, we need to get our minds off the trials of this life. We need to have our mind riveted on the One that has gone through the trials already.

When He was on the cross, the religionists of His day ridiculed Jesus. They made sneering remarks that cut to the very quick of His heart. He knows what it means to be reproached. But He endured, just thinking of the joy that He could bring you. And you can endure thinking about the joy that you can bring Him. There is a wonderful joy that is laid up for the saints. A great part of that joy will be in seeing our Lord happy.

We are warned, “Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son, and children shall rise up against their parents and shall cause them to be put to death, and ye shall be hated of all men for My sake, but he that shall endure until the end, the same shall be saved.” Mark 13:12, 13. Righteousness and truth do not mix with error. If you are standing in defense of truth, you are going to be hated.

Are you ready to endure hatred? If you endure you will be saved. But the time is coming when all hatred will be at an end. “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” Isaiah 35:10. Sorrow and sighing will someday be forever gone.

Look to Jesus. He can give you hope. You may feel encased in a cast, not a cast of plaster, but a cast of hatred and distrust. And it is hot, and itchy, and you want out, but you cannot get out. You are in the middle of a trial. If you look to Jesus, He will give you comfort. He will give you endurance. He will give you joy. You will have peace in the middle of the trial, because He is sufficient to take you through.

“Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2.