“The Power of the Persevering Heart”

Posted on Dec 19, 2015 in Devotions |

 
 
 
perseverence
 
 
by Dona Hake
 
 
 
 
 

“When you get into a tight place and everything goes against

you until it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never

give up then, for that is just the time and place that the tide

will turn.”

Harriet Beecher Stowe

 
 
 
I love this quote. It makes me wonder how many times that I have given up on something or someone just when the tide was ready to turn.    There is power in perseverance and the determined heart cannot be stopped or shaken.    Determination is when you come to a decision or you fix yourself on a purpose, and nothing is going to hold you back.
 
 
 
I cannot help but think of Peter as he stepped out of the boat upon the Lord’s command. “Come Peter!” I can only imagine what was going through Peter’s mind as he looked down and saw himself walking on the water. His faith was at work and he was defying the impossible. Yet when his mind became focused on the wind, waves and the turbulent storm, he began to sink. Jesus reached out His hand to Peter, took a firm grip and kept him above water. The thing that always hit me the hardest with this account was that Peter was only an arm’s reach away from Jesus.  Let’s look at the story in the scriptures.
 
 
 

Matthew 14:28-31 Amplified

 “And Peter answered Him, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.

 He said, Come! So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and he came toward Jesus.

 But when he perceived and felt the strong wind, he was frightened, and as he began to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me [from death]!

 Instantly Jesus reached out His hand and caught and held him, saying to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

 
 
 

How many times are we just an arm’s reach away from the finish line of success in that which we are setting ourselves, but then our minds begin to “perceive” and we get ourselves into trouble?   How many times is the tide ready to turn and we throw up our hands and give up?  We must apply faith, persistence, and determination to all we set ourselves to do. As we fix our eyes on Jesus with determination and faith in our hearts, He will enable us to do the impossible. It is as we do this that we can share the testimony of what we learned in our accomplishment to those that need this same word of encouragement!

“And let us not get tired of doing what is right, for

after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up.”

Galatians 6:9 TLB