2 minute read.
Daily Reading: Amos 1:1-3:15 ESV, Revelation 2:1-17 ESV, Psalm 129:1-8 ESV, Proverbs 29:19-20 ESV
Daily Verse: “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.” (Revelation 2:2 ESV)
KOPOS (2873): “Means “a striking, beating,” then “toil resulting in weariness, laborious toil, trouble”; it is translated “labor” or “labors” in Rev. 2:2.”[1]
Laborious toil.
Following Jesus requires patient endurance and discernment for Christ’s truth. Sometimes, the trials can seem many, and the lies even more so. False narratives abound on the internet.
“A lie travels halfway around the world before the truth is still putting on its shoes.”
Irony in the above quote exists, often credited to Mark Twain; it came from Jonathan Swift centuries prior. Fitting that the man who said the words about lying doesn’t get the proper credit. Sparks turn into flames with enough fuel. Lies spread swifter than fire.
Persevere patiently.
Following Jesus requires perseverance when the laborious toil gets old. As the exhaustion sets into your bones and the mental battle seem endless, our hope comes from Christ, who endured all things for us.
Jesus lived in a world of false narratives and political upheaval like ours. The internet spreads lies faster than in Christ’s day. Defeating the false teaching takes patient perseverance. Truth makes people uncomfortable and reluctant to accept it, preferring the lies that make them feel good.
But Jesus came to set us free from the lies and condemnation of this world, offering divine grace that gives us a fresh start. Each day, reconnecting with God helps us stay focused on the truth and persevere patiently through the trials and sufferings of life.
As a dear friend said, “I stay grateful by reminding myself I’m a lowly sinner in need of grace.”
We all share the same description, lowly sinners in need of God’s grace. One day this world will end as well as the suffering we endure. Until then, keeping our eyes on Jesus will help us overcome the laborious toil of this life.
[1] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 143) Thomas Nelson
