Directed by the Lord
A devotional by Kerry Sue Teravskis
“May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.”
— 2 Thessalonians 3:5 (NIV)
When we drive, we need directions. Even if we have been going to the same place for years, at the onset we needed guidance. Especially fun were the paper maps, or the Thomas Maps we always had in our cars. These navigational guides on paper predated digital Google Maps, and one became quite efficient at reading them.
Before digital maps were invented, we also used the AAA road maps and guidebooks. Since we have traveled extensively around the U.S., these tools became part of our travel bag. My side of the truck is usually filled with books, maps and local treasures to make our travel time interesting and guided. Much like God. He is the map. He is our Guide (Psalm 48:14). He is Sovereign and knows our beginning and end (Isaiah 46:10). Ultimately, God has our destination in mind: Abiding in His love.
Who or what is God’s love? We see in 1 John 4:16 that God is love. And Jesus Christ states He and the Father are one in John 10:30. Therefore, Jesus is love.
God directs our hearts into His Son, Jesus. We are assured in Colossians 3:3 that our life, our very hearts are in Christ. We are held, we are comforted, we are given a place between His shoulders where there is perfect peace and love. This is a place especially designed for the beloved of God (Deuteronomy 33:12).
Where else does Paul say we are directed by God? Into Christ’s perseverance. Perseverance conjures up so much—pain, suffering, duration, a far-off end. But the interesting thing about this word can be found in the Greek. Perseverance (as it says in NIV of the Bible) is “patient waiting” according to the KJV of the Bible. In Greek it is “hypomone” meaning “cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, waiting.”
Let’s look at that again. Cheerful? If you are like me, enduring anything is not exactly cheerful. Or hopeful, for that matter. Enduring is a season of waiting. Long-term waiting. And waiting is not a strong suit for many of us.
But Christ gave us the example. And it is where God guides us—into His cheerful endurance. The Apostle Paul writes it beautifully for us in Philippians 2:6-8. He said Jesus humbled himself in obedience to God and He died on the cross to save us from our sins. He did it willingly and cheerfully. One could make a case for the need to change our definition of cheerful. In our modern-day society, we think and speak of cheerful as the Pollyanna gladness game. There is nothing really wrong with this approach, per se. But a deeply held conviction of enduring the hard, unimaginable acts of obedience require gut wrenching endurance. How is this possible? We are given the way—the Lord. He is our Strength (Psalm 28:7). He is what we need to not only endure, but to experience Christ’s perseverance.
Incredible. Knowing all of this, how do we assimilate it into our everyday lives? How can you, me, all of us as believers not only know God’s love afresh and anew, but be willing to be guided into Christ’s perseverance?
For starters, it is not easy. But with Christ Jesus all things are possible (Philippians 4:13). We begin in prayer. We begin in worship. We begin in humbling ourselves before the Father (God) and admit our inadequacies, our need and our desire.
Having just gone through a very intense season of suffering and affliction for five years, I get it. How did I get through each day? I focused on what was directly in front of me: the next meal, a shower, a phone call, reading Scripture. Whatever was next in my regular schedule.
I also was told frequently by my daughter to watch where my feet were going and focus on my next step. Since I had two broken feet, this was very appropriate and good advice. And it turns out to be what we need in our walk with the Lord. Watch where we put not only our feet, but our eyes, our heart, our minds.
Pretty soon, we find ourselves at the end of the day not defeated but knowing victory, love, and Christ’s cheerful endurance.
Let’s Pray: Father, You are amazing. You are the Guide I truly need in my every day life, in my now and in my future. May I study You as my “map” and follow behind Your leading all the days of my life. May I truly be able to go the distance, cheerfully. It is only in You I can. Thank You for this promise. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.
Song of Reflection: “Strength of My Life” by Vertical Worship. Listen to it here.
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Author Bio:
Kerry Sue’s life is very full because she is a wife and Marmee to three adult children—two of whom are married—and a new grandson.
Kerry Sue’s family was a homeschooling family for 20 years and they enjoyed it immensely. For the last 24 years they have lived on a small farm in Northern California where they have raised many farm animals, along with growing and preserving their food. Kerry Sue’s family farm has been a great source of enjoyment and a place to host many family gatherings. She maintains an open-door policy for dear friends—old and new.
Following and serving Jesus Christ is an integral part of Kerry Sue’s life as well as her family’s. Whether it’s singing in the church choir, teaching children or leading and lecturing at a women’s Bible study, Kerry Sue loves to demonstrate her love for Jesus by giving to Him in service. She’s been a blogger for more than eight years, a Bible study writer for four years, and a devotional writer for more than two years.
Kerry Sue feels led to write about finding God’s Sovereignty in our suffering because of her own ongoing journey of more than four years, with the hope to encourage others.
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Connect with Kerry:
Blog: https://www.sovereignblog.com/home
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kerry.teravskis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ksteravskis/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sovereignblog
