Day 2 – A Union of Perseverance
Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. – Romans 8:17-18
In light of yesterday’s devotion, which helped us see Christ as the personification of the Grace of God the Father, I am struck by the beauty and clarity that appears in this hymn verse if we use “grace” and “Christ” interchangeably.
‘Tis Christ hath brought me safe thus far,
And Christ will lead me home.
We all face times of “present suffering.” Our current circumstances may be discouraging, frustrating, disheartening, or disappointing. Yet, we are continually called to persevere through these times. Additionally, each of us are intimately aware of the toils and snares in our lives that continue to tempt us. We know the moments in which we clearly see our brokenness and our natural bent toward sin. Once again, Scripture clearly lays out the perseverance we are to have as believers. We all know both these struggles and truths so well, and somehow, there are many days we don’t feel any better or holier because of it.
This is where the news from this verse in Romans is so reassuring. We are children and heirs. We have been joined to Christ in a Union in which we take part in all that Christ is, including His status as a child of God. Because we share in everything Christ is, we also share in all that He experiences. We share in His sufferings, and we also share in His glory.
Being joined to Christ in this Union gives us a permanent companion who shares with us all that He is. We do not persevere under our own power, because our own perseverance will fall short every single time. We persevere through Christ’s perfect perseverance, which has been joined to us in the person of Jesus.
There is no Perseverance apart from Jesus.
May we continue to see the loving gift that God has given us, not simply as a gift of perseverance, a gift of joy, a gift of grace, or a gift of peace, but instead as the most perfect gift, Jesus, who is Himself perseverance, joy, grace, and peace.
‘Tis Christ hath brought me safe thus far,
And Christ will lead me home.
Action Step: Read Colossians 1:9-14. Spend time in prayer, worshipping God for the beauty of Christ and our Union with Him, surrendering any tendencies you might have toward self-reliance, and asking God to give you trust that Christ’s perseverance is sufficient to overcome our struggles and brokenness.
