Instruction, Endurance and Encouragement

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Romans 15:4

Hope comes from Scriptures and from endurance. We learn from what we have read and what we are walking though. Both build faith, which is the evidence of things hoped for.

When I read Scriptures, I try to remember that the people I read about faced the same doubts and insecurities I do. They face the same fear. They have the same questions that I have. Some, like David record those questions. For most others, we just have the highlights. We, unlike them, have the benefit of knowing how things turned out for them. We know they had to endure through it without knowing for certain things would work out.

We have the Scriptures to read. They didn’t. Many might have known the first five books of the Bible. Other than Noah, Joseph and Enoch there is not a lot of examples to encourage them to keep on. There is a lot of reminders of how people messed up and the consequences faced because of it. I am thankful that I have the whole Bible to build my faith and encourage me to endure.

Prayer – Lord, thank You for Your Scriptures to encourage me to endure?