Will you persevere? (Part 2)

In the last post, I asked the following questions about perserverance:
“And how many of us would have quit the first month, the first year, second year or even the third year. What if the ministry, the Lord has provided you, did not show fruit for 3 years. Would we persevere, would we be patient and wait on the Lord?”
My own personal answer to this question (and I believe many Christians' answer) to these questions would be Yes or No.
Yes – if I am walking in the Spirit. If I am letting the mind of Christ through the Spirit provide direction for my life, if I am letting Him have His way with me.
No – if I am walking in my own power. I could persevere for a while in my own power, but even if I did, would the Lord bless the work? No.

A question like this always makes come back to story of Joshua and Caleb in the books of Numbers and Joshua. Most of us know the story (Numbers 13-14) where Moses sent out the men to explore the land of Canaan. All of the men came back afraid except for Joshua and Caleb. In the end, the Israelites did not go into the Good Land. The Lord was upset with them. In 14:20-24 (NIV) it is written, “The Lord replied, “I have forgiven them, as you asked. Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth, not one of the men who saw my glory and miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times – not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.” Amen
Stay tuned until tomorrow when I will finish my thoughts.