Dear Friend,
Every month I look forward to this time to encourage you in the Word of God. Although each day seems to be going by a little faster than the day before, it is vital that we slow down to wait before the Lord, spending time in His presence, every day.
I also want to let you know that I have a heart filled with gratitude for those who watch my program. I’ve received so many messages with kind words, notes just to say “hello,” emails with heartfelt communication, and sincere prayer requests. We read every letter, email, and message and pray over every prayer request. There is power in agreement. Yes, God hears our prayers — and He answers them!
For us to be strong in these last days, we need to understand more clearly and deeply the treasure we have inside us. Second Corinthians 4:7 says, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”
This treasure inside us is the Holy Spirit, and there is an invaluable part of that treasure that I want to talk to you about today — the power of endurance. Endurance is part of the treasure that resides in us. And this treasure can be unwrapped and discovered as we are enduring.
How important is it for you to know about endurance? It is very important. As I mentioned, this power to endure comes from the Holy Spirit who dwells inside you. This supernatural Friend shows up to push you over into victory when it looks and feels like winning is nowhere in sight. This supernatural Helper has caused believers throughout the centuries to not give up in the midst of horrible circumstances. You need endurance so you can ultimately receive what is promised (see Hebrews 10:35,36).
Maybe you are tempted right now to throw in the towel and say, “It’s not worth it. I can’t do this anymore.” But endurance is there inside you to carry you through. Don’t quit. You can’t quit! The Holy Spirit can and will carry you through this situation and see you to the end. Nothing can separate you from His love for you. Nothing.
Romans 8:38 and 39 tell us, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” He is right there with you. The Holy Spirit, with His enduring power, grasps hands with you to pull you across the finish line victoriously.
So how do you discover this secret weapon called endurance? Let’s begin with James 1:2 and 3:
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
I want to emphasize that this teaching is not to promote embracing or glorifying hardship. The truths we are studying are about embracing the power of God to bring you through hardship into victory. When you understand the enduring power within you, you will be more convinced of His love for you than the desire to quit. You will be more in love with Him than resentful of the circumstance. And you will be more confident of His power in your life — assured that the One who is in you is far greater than the enemy in the world.
First, let’s look at the word “count” in James 1:2. It means to consider or to think about it. This is so powerful. It’s powerful when you can look at what’s trying to bring you down and yet consider and think about it as joy. This joy is supernatural and not subject to natural circumstances, but it’s important to know that it is available to you.
The next word I want to focus on is “fall.” This word indicates that you didn’t plan for it. You didn’t want it, but you just “fell” into it. But endurance is stay-in-there power; it’s never-give-up power. And it’s available to you and will work in you even when you fall.
James 1:3 continues, “Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” The word “knowing” means I know; I perceive; I realize; or I recognize. Be quick to know, perceive, realize, and recognize that this test is working for you. The devil will test you; he intends to crush you and steal from you. But the Holy Spirit is there with you with His proving power. You can be confident that where the devil wants to break you, the Holy Spirit will show you that — with Him — you’re unbreakable!
So what do we know from the Word of God?
- We know that the problem is not from God. (See James 1:17.)
- We know that with the power of the Holy Spirit in you, you are to resist the enemy. (See James 4:7.)
- We know that as you stand in God’s strength to defeat the enemy, God’s presence is in you to work endurance through (See Philippians 4:13.)
- We know that you are going to come out on the other side knowing and having experienced this supernatural power of endurance — the I-will-not-quit attitude that says, “I’m not stopping until I get what is mine.” (See James 1:4.)
I want to share the following quote from my husband Rick Renner: “Endurance pictures one who is under a heavy burden, but refuses to bend, break, or surrender because he is convinced that the territory promised or principle under assault rightfully belongs to him.”
Now that’s a never-give-up attitude!
It is vitally important that we know endurance is a supernatural power for these last days. Most assuredly, we will encounter situations that press on us and tempt us to give up, but we don’t have a quitter on the inside! We have the Holy Spirit, with His enduring power in us, and He is more than enough to see us through to victory.
Philippians 2:13 says, “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”
Once again we are reminded who is working in us. It’s God! He comes with His energy and power, and He has committed Himself to work in you and bring you across the finish line.
Here’s one more promise from the Word of God. Philippians 1:6 in The Passion Translation says, “I pray with great faith for you, because I’m fully convinced that the One who began this gracious work in you will faithfully continue the process of maturing you until the unveiling of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Friend, God is committed to the end to help you remain faithful. Even at this very moment, the power of endurance is working in your spirit. This is not a time for you to give up, but it is a time for you to press into Him and His Word to fully embrace His enduring power.
Thank you for taking this time with me. I want to invite you to join me for my program, TIME With Denise Renner, on Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. CT on YouTube and Facebook. You can also find me Saturdays at 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. CT on GospelTruth.TV and Saturdays at 3:30 p.m. CT on PTL. And you can access my audio podcast on Spotify, Apple, and Google with new episodes every Monday at 5:00 a.m.
And I always want to know how we can pray for you. Please reach out to us if you have a prayer request. We are here for you, and our prayer team is ready to stand in faith with you. Call 1.800.742.5593 or send us an email at prayer@deniserenner.org. We look forward to joining our faith with yours to see the desire of your heart fulfilled and His enduring power manifested in your life!
We are moving forward together,
Denise Renner