Faith in Difficult Times: Embracing Patient Endurance Through Life's Trials

Our blog this month is from guest writer, Kerry Sue Teravskis.

This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.  Revelation 13:5  NIV

The Call for Patient Endurance

Calls come at any time, night or day. They can bring good news or bad.  They can be misdirected, wrong or annoying. Or they can be joyful, fun-loving and exciting.

Who doesn’t remember where and when a certain call was received with extremely good news? Or the same for very sad/bad news?

I was standing in the kitchen or our tiny house in Santa Ana, CA, with very young children playing at my feet. My husband, John, called me. The company he worked for closed its doors. In one moment, we lost the company vehicle (so bringing us down to one car), income (and we had a mortgage), and a job for John, our only source of income (I was a stay-at-home mom).

We knew the owners who had taken us in like their own children. We knew the other employees, of which there were many. We had spent much time at the office with daddy and it felt like family.

So, you can imagine the shock this call created.

However, God is greater still. He used this call to point us to an even bigger call:

Remain faithful to Jesus.

Faith in Difficult Times 

Where would we put our trust? Where would we put our eyes? Where would we walk? And how would we demonstrate to our children complete trust in Jesus?

Unbeknownst to me, John had called a meeting with some buddies from the now-defunct company for that very night to discuss the next steps. These men were all believers, and it was during that meeting I saw men walk into the call of God without wavering. They (including my husband) demonstrated a commitment to God and His ways. No matter the cost.

Was it easy? Was the transition smooth? Did John find a job? Did the others?  

No it was not easy, and yes, they all found jobs.

So, how does this relate to the call of God? How can we live out our faith in such a way that demonstrates a complete reliance and trust upon God and His call for us – even when it does not make sense, it is longsuffering and/or causes pain?

How can we have faith in difficult times?

We start with:

You (God) are good, and what You do is good; teach me Your decrees.  Psalm 119:68  NIV

Yes, it always starts with acknowledging the goodness of God. Not only in His character but in His actions. What naturally follows is our desire to learn more of Him and His ways. And where do we find these? In His Word.

Following God and following His Son, the Good Shepherd (John 10:14) is heeding the call. But what we see in Revelation is patient endurance alongside that call.

Patient Endurance Through Life's Trials

Patient endurance? Who endures hardship with patience? Before that even, who endures hardships, persecutions (which is the context of this passage in Revelation) and trials? Think job loss, health-related struggles, relational challenges, family dynamics, and the like.

Patient endurance in a morgue? Unemployment line? Am empty house once filled with joy and laughter?

Yes.  Excruciatingly yes.

None of this is easy. But it can be beautiful.  How?

Jesus. He makes all things possible and with Him all things are indeed, possible.  

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26  NIV

It is when we get behind Him and allow Him to lead, fight our battles, comfort us, and show us the next steps, can we actually heed the call.  

It begs the question: how can I know for sure I’ll be able to do this hard thing, let alone follow? Mary, when visited by the angel, did not have her answers to her questions, but she believed.  Yes, she believed with God all things are possible. Zechariah, on the other hand, when visited by an angel, doubted, questioned with unbelief and lost his voice. Both of these stories are in the Christmas narrative and serve as examples of opportunities to heed the call and to walk with patient endurance – even the uncertainty of the next step or corner.

Our Jesus is with us. He gives us this promise in John 15:4.

 Remain in Me and I will remain in you. John 15:4

Funny thing about that word remain. Here are some other uses and synonyms: abide, dwell, stay in, continue, tarry and endure.

We can rewrite this verse to say: Endure in Christ and He will endure with us.

Jesus is in this for the long haul. He endures with us in the valley of the shadow. He endures with us when the lies get circulated around town and we are left alone. He endures with us in financial duress. He endures with us in it all.

Even more so, He carries us. We have a place on His shoulders – a place to rest. To be and to be still. May we climb onto and into those shoulders and know He is God and know He is with us as we follow the call with patient endurance.

And the one the LORD loves rests between His shoulders.  Deuteronomy 33:12b  NIV

Whether you climb on His back, or press your face into His chest may you:

Hear His heart beat,

Feel His warm skin against yours,

Feel His hair brush across your cheek and wipe away your tears,

Hear His song of love sung over you.

Father, Your call is ringing in my ears and in my heart.  Yes, I will endure with patience and I will follow You even if I do not understand because one thing I know: You are faithful and You are for me.  You guide me.  You protect me.  You love me. Amen.

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As a wife and Marmee to three adult children, two of whom are married and a new grandson, Kerry Sue’s life is very full. Following and serving Jesus Christ is an integral part of Kerry Sue’s life as well as her family’s. Whether it’s singing in the church choir, teaching children or leading and lecturing at a women’s Bible study, Kerry Sue loves to demonstrate her love for Jesus by giving to Him in service. She’s been a blogger for more than nine years, a Bible study writer for five years, and a devotional writer for more than three. Kerry Sue feels led to write about finding God’s Sovereignty in our suffering because of her own journey of more than five years, with the hope to encourage others.

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Connect with Kerry:

Blog: https://www.sovereignblog.com/home/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kerry.teravskis/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ksteravskis/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sovereignblog

Images by Wix

Scripture Image made on Canva

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From Guilt to Grace: Hope and Healing for Christian Moms of Addicted Children by Dawn R. Ward, published on September 17, 2024 is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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