Persevere

Photo courtesy Erik Thorson

For God is not unjust so as to forget your work 

and the love which you have shown toward His name,

in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.

Hebrews 6:10

It's been a long winter. A cold and bitter wind has chilled your soul for many months. The icy fingers of death claw at you as you struggle to free yourself from their grip.

The weather's been bad, too.

You have chosen to follow Christ as you walk through a dead world. The spring you have experienced in your heart drives you to share this amazing news. It inspires you to fly into the storms, to choose a life in the harsh places where the hurting and the dying and the desperate need the healing touch of the Lord of the seasons. 

You have given up the comforts of a cozy existence to follow this call. Day after day you pour out your life for others. You are often misunderstood--or worse, ignored. Your reward is resistance, insults, mocking, silence. 

But you stay, because the call is greater than the cold. Beneath the snow, you can see evidence of a coming thaw. The tender green shoots of new life are stubbornly pushing toward the sun. 

Don't give up yet.

God has heard every prayer. He has seen the love you display toward others. He has noticed even the smallest acts of mercy you have shown in His name. Absolutely nothing escapes God, and He never forgets.

And He will repay him for his good deed.

Proverbs 19:17

Stay true to your call. Serve in the winter seasons with joy and perseverance, knowing you work for a loyal master. Eventually spring will triumph and the harvest will come. In the meantime, lean hard on God and stay close to your fellow laborers. Look out for each other. Pray for one another. Choose the day's duties wisely and follow God's instructions precisely.

No winter lasts forever, not even this one. You will see a harvest.

Let us not lose heart in doing good,

for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.

Galatians 6:9

What winter are you experiencing? What promises of God are you still waiting to see fulfilled? How can we keep from growing weary as we serve Him?