Enduring lemons.

       When trials and troubles inevitably come in life; we can be left feeling perplexed and frustrated. Feeling that life has found a way to hand us lemons. I say lemons not because we can take lightly many of the trials and tribulations that can be encountered in life. Lemons are a metaphor for the stinging sour bitterness that lifes tribulation can represent.  The old adage is to make lemonaide out of life's lemons. To do this we would need water and sugar to add to the lemons. Sometimes there is little in the way of sweetness to add or water to dilute a trial or tribulation. We are called by God to just ENDURE and keep running. 

If you are at sea in a storm you have to endure, riding out the storm while doing all to stay afloat.  Hebrews 12:1-2 says " Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. " Hebrews does not hide the fact that Jesus despised what he went through. The mocking, beating,rejection,and crucifixion were bourne out of love. Love for each person that had and would live. The SON endured keeping his focus on the prize, The joy set before him was every soul redeemed by his sacrifice on Calvary and the restoration of his glory when he sat down again on the right hand of the Father. The writer of Hebrews calls believers to endure and run the race toward the Father,Son and Holy Spirit. We can be harshly realistic with God that we despise the situation and trials we find ourselves in during life, Jesus did. We should pray and seek to resolve them but ultimately if God does not stop the lemons or end the storm we are told to endure. 

Endurance may sometimes mean not seeming make progress when all you can do is just stand.  Ephesians 6:13 says “. . .take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. It not sin to just stand and wait on the LORD. We may be standing or trying to stand but God is fighting. The Word says in 2 Chronicles 20:15 “And he said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army, for the battle does not belong to you, but to God.”  17 You need not fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out and face them tomorrow, for the LORD is with you.’ ” 

       Go out with the LORD GOD STAND and ENDURE. The stands are filled with unseen witnesses as each believer runs, falls and stands on the way toward the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Matthew 6:33 says "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

 by -  Shoon S page creator.