BIBLICAL FOCUS:
May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ. — 2 Thessalonians 3:5 (NLT)
If you have ever been hiking, you can agree with me that sometimes the journey of faith is much like hiking a mountain. At the beginning, there is excitement and a sense of purpose. The climb may be steep, but we are certain we will finish because the excitement outweighs how steep the mountain is, so endurance feels almost effortless. Whether it’s a new season of prayer, the start of a fast, or a fresh commitment to growth, the beginning is often inspired by the vision ahead.
As we move into the middle of the hike, things get harder, but we are making progress. We may be tired but still encouraged. We can look back and see how far we have come, so that gives enough momentum to keep going.
The most difficult part of the climb is often near the top. By then, the scenery starts to look the same. Trees are still trees, the same trail ahead. We seem higher, yet the summit feels out of reach. Frustration begins to creep in, impatience begins to grow, not because we are failing, but because we are tired. And here is where thoughts quietly begin to argue, “Maybe this is high enough. Maybe I don’t need to go all the way.”
This is also where temptation becomes most subtle. The enemy is astute; he rarely comes when the journey is new, and excitement is loud. He waits until we are tired, until progress feels invisible, until we are close, because if he makes us doubt and fall, he makes us believe that we never advanced at all, so he whispers a known invitation to return to old behaviors, old habits that helped manage frustration, impatience, or discomfort, and not because they lead us ahead, but because they were an immediate relief.
That is why what Paul reminds us is so powerful: patient endurance does not come from gritting our teeth, by trying harder, or by what we used to lean on when things get hard, but it comes from where and whom we are looking, it comes from Christ. That is why Paul prayed, “May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding.” This means that when we are at our weakest, we are not disqualified, but we are positioned to fix our eyes on Jesus, through whom we begin to draw strength from, rather than from ourselves.
This is so true as we are near the end of our fast. The beginning was fueled with excitement. The middle was sustained by expectations. But the end may feel the hardest. The hunger weather physical or emotional, may feel stronger; the desire to stop early whispers, “this is far enough.” Yet we must understand that our journey (in life or this fast) is not about providing endurance but receiving a new patient endurance. God is asking us for a deeper dependence on him. Patient endurance is about staying on the trail of life with our eyes fixed on Jesus and understanding that step by step, He will provide and supply what we no longer have and need. - Pastora Daniela Reyes
Steps of Action: Read, Write, and Pray
1) READ:
- 2 Thessalonians 3
- Optional: Hebrews 12:1-2
2) WRITE:
Answer honestly:
- When life gets hard, what do I lean on first? (self-effort, control, distraction, or Jesus)
- How is Jesus meeting me in this season of life?
- Where in your journey are you closest to the top, but most tempted to stop?
Write a replacement statement beginning with:
“Lord, instead of going back to________, I choose to fix my eyes on _____.”
3) PRAY:
“Lord, lead my heart today. When I am tired, frustrated, or tempted to return to what once felt easier, help me to keep my eyes fixed on You. Help me receive the patient endurance, not from my own strength, but from Your presence. Help me take the next step, trusting and depending on You with the rest.”
