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The End of the World
Listen to Today's Devotion
Have you ever known someone who trained for a marathon or a triathlon? Jay Jackson, the husband of our Lower School Principal, is such an athlete. The amount of work and dedication he invests in preparation for race days is remarkable. It requires mental and physical endurance at the highest level.
Some would say this year has felt like preparation for an Ironman Triathlon - the same grueling practices over and over. It's felt like a mile-after-mile slog. Some days the finish line feels closer than others.
Endurance is not something we're naturally blessed with. It takes time to develop and build up endurance. And it takes a circumstance in which endurance is necessary. Endurance is usually built in pursuit of a goal. We have to believe that what we're enduring will be worth it in the end - if we don't, we'll give up.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is telling His disciples about the end times. I'm sure they were confused by the forecast of chaos and persecution to come. Jesus tells them that endurance will be the key in these circumstances. "But the one who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 24:13).
When the world shut down a year ago, it felt like the end of time. Our hopes and goals and dreams were threatening to collapse in on themselves. We endured challenges both big and small. Our prayer is that our faith has been strengthened through the last year's journey, and we've learned a little bit more about endurance. We're not quite to the end yet. There's more work and struggle ahead. So, let's endure to the end and hold fast to the hope we have in Christ.
In His Joy,
Steve and Tricia Whitaker
Connect with us for prayer or encouragement by sending an email to firstword@thefirstacademy.org
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