Persevere

Have you ever had one of those days when you say to yourself, "Things can't get any worse!" Sometimes life has us at the end of our rope... but God!

Have you ever had one of those days when you say to yourself, "Things can't get any worse!" Sometimes life has us at the end of our rope... but God! Persevere This week's devotions are written by Dr. Matt Queen, Associate Professor, L.R. Scarborough Chair of Evangelism, and Associate Dean of the Roy Fish School of Evangelism & Missions at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. "But he who endures to the end shall be saved." (Matthew 24:13, NKJV) Have you ever had one of those bad days when you say to yourself, "Things can't get any worse!" Sometimes life's circumstances have us at the end of our rope, and we wonder if we will be able to make it through. God's Word assures us that He loves His children and He will see us through to the end. As the signs of the times and the end of the age approach, keep in mind that things are going to get worse before they get better. In fact, Jesus says that before His second coming, a Great Tribulation is coming unlike the world has ever seen. Even though deceivers will arise (Matthew 24:4-5, 11), wars will be waged (Matthew 24:6-7b), natural disasters will occur (Matthew 24:7b), persecution of Christians will increase (Matthew 24:9-10), and lawlessness will abound (Matthew 24:12), God will ultimately preserve every genuine believer living in those days (Matthew 24:13). Long before today's blockbuster performers, there was an actor named Charlton Heston. While filming Ben Hur, the founding father of American cinema, Cecil DeMille, made Heston learn how to drive a horse-drawn chariot for the climactic chariot race at the end of the movie. DeMille didn't want to use Heston's stunt double for this particular scene. Charlton Heston took several lessons and eventually learned how to drive the movie's chariot, which was pulled by four horses. However, after practicing the scene, Heston approached DeMille and said, "Cecil, I'm pretty sure I can drive the chariot all right, but I'm not sure I can actually win the race." With a reassuring smile DeMille responded, "Heston, you just stay in the race, and I'll make sure you win!" Guess what? At the end of the movie, Heston, who played the part of Ben Hur, won the race! Life can be hard, and harder days are coming. Take heart, beloved ones of God. He will see us through to the end of our days, and He will see Christians in the future through to the end of days. We may find that some days give us more than we can handle, but nothing can give God more than He can handle. Hold on to Him; He's holding on to us. Podcast of the Week   Interview with Dave Owen Pastor Danny welcomes to the show his friend Dave Owen, Senior Associate Pastor at Providence Church in Raleigh, NC. Danny and Dave have been friends since their time as students together at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. They discuss their friendship, Dave's testimony, his experience with the world of professional golf, some of the great discipleship relationships he has built with folks in that world, and more! Listen on your preferred platform:   Apple     Spotify     Stitcher     YouTube Facebook Twitter Instagram Website Share Tweet Fwd Copyright © 2021 Danny Forshee Evangelistic Association, All rights reserved.