pointpg09

                Faith and perseverance are continually linked throughout the scriptures. In Luke 18:1-8 and Luke 11:5-13 Jesus testifies that persistence and not giving up will bring about answers to our prayers. And when the Canaanite woman continued to plead for her daughter's healing, Jesus did not say "Great is your persistence", He said, "Great is your faith"! (Matthew 15:21-28)

                Hebrews 10:36 says "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what was promised."

                In the time of testing, our tendency seems to be to see the circumstances and then run somewhere else for our comfort and our strength. For some, this "somewhere else" may be drinking. For some it may be lashing out and hurting others. For some it may be TV, music, affection from other people, self-inflicted wounds or sickness, sleeping, eating, shopping, work, etc.

                Although some things we reach out for may be OK, God wants us to run to Him. He wants to be our source of comfort and strength. When He is not our primary source, we will need to be pruned of these other "idols" in our lives. The process of reaching the point of desperation will prune us of these things, and more.

                David, I believe, is an excellent example of faith-filled persistence and trust throughout the process. The psalms are overflowing with evidence of this process, especially the ones written by David himself.

                Whenever David was confronted by adverse situations, he ran to the Lord and cried out to Him; and God delivered him. This habit he had developed, even from youth, enabled him to have the faith to conquer Goliath, as well as to face all the adversities in his life without becoming hardened and bitter. (Many people go through very difficult times in life, but to be free of revenge, bitterness, hardness, festering wounds, etc., takes a relationship with God.)

                An interesting point to make here is that David often times was afraid. He often times was overwhelmed by the circumstances. He often times began to doubt. The following psalms are a testimony to this:
              
                Psalm 56:3

                "When I am afraid, I will trust in you."

                Psalm 31:11:-13

                "Because of all my enemies...I am a dread to my friends...I am forgotten by them as though I were dead...there is terror on every side; they conspire against me and plot to take my life."

                Psalm 22:1

                "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me?"