Wow, the Encountering God service was great tonight! I strongly encourage you to check it out through the archives. Mike Bickle preached on the Perseverance of Jesus as seen in Isaiah 49:1-7. He explained how perseverance is a characteristic that Jesus needed in His humanity, at His first coming. God does not have any obstacles and nothing troubles Him. But Jesus, as a man, experienced the same difficulties and troubles that we do. He needed perseverance to endure to the end and continue in obedience to God. I really enjoyed how Mike operationalized perseverance in our context and I want to share it here:
"Perseverance includes continuing to faithfully press into God and to serve in small things in the face of frustrating circumstances, lack of cooperation, and many other annoying issues which may include lack of finances, lack of appreciation, poor health, disappointing relationships, etc. It is a form of "hiding" when God's favor is seemingly withheld and things do not work right."
Isn't that encouraging?! I felt so affirmed when I read this statement on the notes. Mike went on to talk more specifically about how Jesus was hidden by God and how He persevered through seasons of hiddenness in His life. He also talked about how we see two different perspectives on Jesus' life and we have a similar choice to make with regards to how we will view our life in God.
He (God) has made My (Jesus) mouth like a sharp sword, in the shadow of His hand He has concealed Me; and He has also made Me a select (or sharpened) arrow, He has hidden Me in His quiver. He said to Me, "You are My Servant, Israel, In Whom I will show My glory." But I said, "I have toiled in vain, I have spent My strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely the justice due to Me is with the Lord, and My reward with My God." Isaiah 49:2-4
From man's perspective, Jesus' life and ministry was unimpressive. He spent the first 30 years of His life in complete hiddenness, presumably living an extremely normal life as a carpenter and loving and obeying God through His faithfulness in small things. Jesus has 3 ½ years of ministry at the end of His life which are impressive, but this ends with Him being killed and only a group of about 120 people who remain His faithful followers. From an earthly point of view, it looks like Jesus "toiled in vain and spent His strength for nothing." But, God's perspective is completely opposite. Before Jesus even entered into ministry, God said that Jesus was His beloved son and that He was well-pleased with Him. (Matt 3:17) God saw how Jesus loved and served Him well and faithfully cared for the small things that God had given Him to do during His season of hiddenness. And, God was well-pleased! His heart was moved by Jesus' obedience and the way that Jesus' heart responded and yielded to His leadership. Jesus, for His part, recognized that His reward was with God and He had confidence that His Father was pleased with His life. He decided to live for God's approval alone and endured the difficulties that He must have faced in knowing who He really was, but having to live life as a normal man. He allowed God to raise Him up at the appointed time and did nothing that He did not see His Father doing.
This really challenges and encourages me because I get frustrated when I encounter difficult circumstances and the other annoying issues like lack of finances, lack of power and lack noticeable results. I pray for people and they aren't healed. I ask God to break through in my life or in someone else's and nothing seems to happen. I want to live a life that is significant to God, but my love and my faith seem so incredibly weak and feeble. I experience my daily struggle with sin and think my offering to God is so small. But, I don't want to quit. I want to love God forever. So, I commit again to be a faithful servant, no matter how small or insignificant the things that He has given me seem to be. And I pray 2 Thes 3:5, "May the Lord direct MY heart into the love of God and into the patience of Christ." I need the patience of Christ to be faithful to the end, as He was, and I need the love of God to fuel my heart along the journey. So, even if the things that God has entrusted to you seem small, be encouraged. God's eyes are on you and He is watching the secret movements of Your heart. If we persevere until the end, then we will also have our moment to hear:
Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. (Remember, we still have the millennium to really rule and reign with Jesus!) Enter into the joy of your Lord. Matthew 25:21
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