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Standing Firm

You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.  James 5:8

Photo courtesy of pixabay.Standing is easier when we are on the peaks.

Your son forgets to tell you he has band practice, and you’ve raced home from a meeting to pick him up from school. Your boss is difficult, and the deadline on the project is looming overhead. Beyond that, your finances are a mess—putting stress on your marriage of more than twenty years.

A variation of these scenarios plays out in many lives. For some, the circumstances are more difficult—an ailing parent, a child that has spun out of control.

The Christian life is marked with peaks and valleys. The valley is challenging because we don’t have a proper vantage point. Things seem obscure. However, the true test of our character is brought forth when we continue to stand in the valley. But the challenge is knowing how to maintain our patience in the midst of trying circumstances.

Being patient means being able to remain calm when waiting for a long period of time or when dealing with difficulty. Although the meaning is not hard to comprehend, the application requires more than mere mental understanding. I often tell my children, it’s not what we know, but what we do with what we know.

God’s Word tells us to be patient and stand firm because the Lord’s coming is near. If you’re anything like me, you often lose sight of this truth, especially when you’re hard pressed and threatened by troubles.  We’re called to do two things when facing difficulty: be patient and stand firm.

Standing firm is defined as being in an upright position with all of your weight on your feet. As we place our full weight on the Word of God, He causes us to stand firm beneath the weight of our struggles. And while we’re standing, it’s critical to remind ourselves that the Lord’s coming is near. This truth should compel us to stand because He will return to take us home.

We can stand because God stands beside us, providing strength when we feel like we cannot stand a moment longer. There is no power that can withstand Him who is the Lord of Hosts.

(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)

(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)


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Nydia DiCarali

Nydia DiCarali resides in New York with her husband of twenty-two years and is the mother of two teenagers. A Christian for more than twenty-four years, Nydia teaches women’s Bible studies and has coordinated retreats and conferences to further encourage others to continue to walk by faith. She believes that when we allow ourselves to be governed by God’s Word we can live as more than conquerors.


Comments

  1. Good word, Nydia. We can always be reminded of the importance of waiting. In this day and age of ''instant'' everything, it becomes especially hard to wait and not get frustrated - BUT it is SO worth it to ''Wait on the Lord''. He always does much more than we expect. Thank you.