The Power of Patient Perservance by Gittel Fruma

Fear is a substance. It fills and spreads where it finds space. It suffocates and darkens any place it enters. Remember the last time you picked up the phone to receive bad news. Do you remember how fear gripped your heart and stole your breath from your lungs? That is the substance of fear.

Now faith is an altogether different substance. Faith stills your mind on Christ and pours life into your veins. Faith stands you up and gives you the strength to go on. Faith says, “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear.” Faith is the substance we have access to as believers in Jesus.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1 ESV)

This word “assurance” in Greek refers to a foundation, a structure, a substance, a guaranteed reality. We are not assured in our ignorance of something imaginary. We are assured of our foundation, of a real substance that grounds and guides us in everything we do.

Faith is the spiritual law of gravity. It needs no introduction or explanation. Spiritual beings see it and are aware of it. This is why we walk by faith.

Our faith is in Jesus Christ, in His birth through the Holy Spirit, His sinless life, His death for our sins, and His resurrection to eternal glory as the King and Coming Savior of our world. Our faith is in Christ, the Word of God, Who granted us “His precious and very great promises.” (2 Peter 1:4 ESV)

It is these promises that carry us in our time of need. These promises are what we hold on to when fear tries to supplant faith.

We all have the promise of salvation in Christ, the promise of citizenship in the Kingdom of God which cannot be shaken. We have the manifold promises in the Word of God to His people, to those Who love Him and serve Him. We may also have personal promises spoken to us by the Holy Spirit Himself or through His prophets. We have these promises, precious and very great.

But these promises will get us nowhere if we let go of them.

“Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” (Hebrews 10:35-36 ESV)

Faith requires a promise, but the fulfillment of a promise requires patience. You can’t pull the promises of God out of a microwave or pay more money for express shipping. The promises of God often take time. And what a great pity it is when we lose opportunities given to us by God because we can’t wait on Him.

When Jesus was brought to the Temple for the first time, He was greeted by two people. Simeon and Anna were both advanced in age and through their patience met the promised Messiah in person. Anna had spent many years in the temple, fasting and praying for the redemption of Israel. Simeon had held on to his promise that he would see the Christ before he died. Without patience, they would have not received their promises.

We also need perseverance so that we can withstand the temptations and trials we will surely face along the way to our promise.

Gehazi was Elisha’s servant and certainly stood to inherit the mantle of the prophet he served, as Elisha has inherited a double portion from Elijah when he was taken up to heaven. When Naaman was healed of leprosy and offered Elisha earthly treasures for his advice, Elisha refused the gifts. Gehazi, although he had seen the work of God through Elisha and knew how powerfully his master was in the Spirit, thought he could deceive him. Gehazi did not persevere through the temptation of wealth that Naaman presented, chased after him, and lied so Naaman would give him clothing and silver. Thus, Naaman lost his position and gained leprosy.

We cannot give in to the lie, the fear, that what God has for us is less than what we can do for ourselves. We must hold on to the promises of God, have patience and persevere. You have need of endurance so you may receive what you were promised.

We are all waiting for the fulfillment of our promised Messiah’s return. You may also be waiting on personal promises God has made to you. While you wait in the Lord, do not lose hope. Do not give in to fear.

Hold on to your promise. Have patience as you wait in the Lord. Persevere when trials present themselves. Do the will of God and receive what He has promised you.

Gittel Fruma

Gittel Fruma came to believe in Jesus after growing up as an Orthodox Jew. Gittel lives with her husband and son in Clearwater, Florida. She is currently working on a book about her testimony and recording her first album. You can find her at her website GittelFruma.com or on Facebook at @GittelFrumaMusic.