Strength #2—Strong Examples

Be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the Lord’s coming is near. … Behold, we consider those prophets blessed who endured. Also, you have heard of Job’s endurance, and you have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, because he is emotionally tuned in and sympathetic. James 5:8, 11

We can strengthen our hearts by considering how intimately God was involved in the suffering of those who are now enjoying unhindered fellowship with him. Just as a wall grows strong by adding layers of bricks, our hearts grow strong as we cement in the examples of others who have patiently waited for the Lord to work on their behalf. Redemptive history is our brickyard. We can confidently use the bricks we find here because they consist of superior materials. One of their key ingredients is the certainty that God was in the midst of these characters’ most troubling experiences. We can gain this certainty too. Certainty that he has a purpose for our pain, even if we cannot see it immediately, will strengthen us. Certainty that he is affected by what is happening to us, that he is not aloof from our pain, will strengthen us. Certainty that our situation is part of his larger plan will strengthen us. The stories of Elijah and Job and Jacob and Habakkuk and Jeremiah and Ruth and David and Abigail and Moses and Joseph and Mary and Priscilla, and especially Jesus, can encourage our hearts. If we become like them, we will experience the joy of being living stones in the walls of God’s house.

O Lord, build my life with the lives of the men and women who have been true to you and have cherished your faithfulness to them. Make me strong in the certainty of your love.