God's Glory Church

“After him, Eleazar… he got up and struck the Philistines until his hand got tired.” — 2 Samuel 23:9-10
When Joni Erickson Tada talks about her friend Rika, she emphasizes her deep, time-tested faith in God and the resilience she has developed while living with a debilitating chronic illness. Rika has been bedridden for over fifteen years, unable to even see the moon from the tiny window of her room. However, she does not lose hope; she believes in God, reads and studies the Bible, and, in Joni’s words, “knows how to stay strong during the bitter battles against discouragement.”

Joni compares Rika’s tenacity and perseverance to that of Eleazar, a warrior of King David’s time who refused to flee from the Philistines. Instead of retreating with the army, he “stood up and smote the Philistines, until his hand grew weary, and his hand clung to the sword. And the Lord made a great salvation that day” (2 Sam. 23:10). As Joni points out, just as Eleazar resolutely held on to the sword, so Rika holds on to “the spiritual sword, which is the Word of God” (Eph. 6:17). And it is in God that she finds her strength.

Whether we are in good health or struggling to cope with the despair of chronic illness, we too can hope that God will deepen our stores of hope and help us to persevere. In Christ we find our strength.

What examples of perseverance and endurance have you seen? How does God restore you when you feel worn out and worn out?
Almighty God, thank You for loving me and helping me to persevere. Please help me to focus on You so that I can continue to trust You and love You.
By Amy Buescher Pye