Endure To Partake

For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.
—Hebrews 10:36).


The promises of God aren’t dependent upon our efforts. They are dependent on His. But we must cooperate with Him. We must trust Him, accept His will, and step out in faith. Although we may fail at times, we must never give up. His promise will ultimately be fulfilled through our surrender. He cannot deny what He has accomplished for us on the cross. If we trust His perfect work and cooperate with the Holy Spirit, His promise will be fulfilled in us.

Do you think that when Jesus called Peter to follow Him that He did not know his strengths and his weaknesses? God knew Peter. He knew that despite human weakness, Peter would discover strength in Him. If you feel weak and lacking in power, remember the Lord chose Peter knowing His potential―knowing that one day He would be filled with the Spirit and minister in His power.

God's choice of Peter is incredibly encouraging. Choosing a weak Peter to serve Him encourages us that, we too, can be used for God's purposes. Take heart. No matter what your struggle or your area of weakness, God knows your potential, too. He extends grace and forgiveness along your lifetime of service so that you may achieve it. Peter, as a result of God's grace, forgiveness, and power, gained spiritual maturity. God took a man who had once denied Him by a coal fire and used him to powerfully declare and demonstrate His purposes.

Peter writes: “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" (2 Peter 1:3-4).

Jesus has called you to partake of Himself—not because of who you are. Not because of any lack. Not because of any failure. He sees your perfection in Him. He sees who you are in Him. He calls you to partake of Himself because of who He is and what He has accomplished on your behalf. His divine power is available so that through Him, and through His precious promises, you may mature to be more like Him. 

Just as Peter, you can reach a level of spiritual maturity where you are effective and productive in your Christian walk (2 Peter 1:9). You can experience God working powerfully in and through you in ways you never anticipated. 

Persevere no matter your failure. Ask to learn from it. Persevere no matter how weak you feel. You can’t live on feelings. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill and empower you. Endure to partake. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:4).