​Confidence Rewarded

Hebrews 10:35-39 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37 For in just a very little while, “He who is coming will come and will not delay. 38 But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” 39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
 
TO persevere is to continue to pursue a goal against all opposition. Those who persevere do not throw away their confidence because of rejections, trials and challenges. In fact, they see these as progressive steps toward success.
    Long ago, the prophet Habakkuk found it difficult to persevere through the culture of sin in Judah: Habakkuk 1:2 How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save?” Although he prophesied God’s judgment on Judah’s sin, the prophet struggled to keep the confidence that God would fulfill his word. Then God gave to Habakkuk the words Hebrews quotes in verses 37-38: Habakkuk 2:2-3 For in just a very little while, “He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.”   
    God told Habakkuk what we all need to know: God will work in his time to do his will on earth. While we await his timing, we are not to shrink back from our work. God will not be pleased with those who lose their confidence in the Lord. God was preparing Babylon to punish Judah. This occurred in his time.
    As Habakkuk, we may wonder why God has not judged the world and established his new heaven and earth. We watch the world seem to disintegrate into spiritual chaos and wonder, “How long, Lord?” Hebrews urging the church to keep their confidence in God’s prophetic word is a good lesson for us. Persevere in your faith. Know you will receive what God has promised you.    
    And while we wait, let us respond to God’s call to advance God’s kingdom on earth. One reason he waits is to fulfill the work to extend the gospel to every tribe and tongue. He encourages us with such scriptures as 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.  He commissions us to advance our faith into a faithless world.
    We Christians should never be “shrinkers”. We need to always keep our confidence we are God’s children. The Holy Spirit has ignited us to faith in our Lord’s unstoppable power to be his people on earth. That means we confidently stand to contend for God’s purpose against all opposition because God has saved us.