Just Keep Swimming

I borrowed my title for this post from Dori off Finding Nemo :)

I have written some about perseverance before, but I usually talked about perseverance in big things. But lately, I've found that perseverance in small things is just as much of a challenge. My example would be reading my Bible. I have read my Bible every day this year since January 1st. But I haven't always followed my reading plan. Some days I've read just one or two chapters, using the excuse that I'm too tired to do more (I read my Bible at night usually). But then I stopped to think: "If I can get up to go to cross country practice at 6:30 in the morning in the summertime and run for almost an hour, then why can't I read 3 or 4 chapters in my Bible every night?" So, at that point, I made a commitment. I will read the "assigned" chapters in my Bible every day. If I can make time every day to read my Bible, I might as well read all the chapters that I'm supposed to. After all, if I don't, I'll just have to read extra chapters the next day in order to finish reading through the Bible in a year.

Speaking from personal experience, it's much better to persevere through a trial or struggle then to take the easy way out and have to deal with your conscience later.

Here's two verses and a quote that I think are good for thought and inspiration.

• Romans 5:3-4~Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
• Hebrews 12:1~Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
• Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain. ~Author Unknown

Lessons from Nehemiah

I was reading through Nehemiah in my devotions and I was wondering what lessons we could learn from him. Nehemiah was a cup-bearer in Persia for King Artaxerxes. When he found out that his city, Jerusalem, had been destroyed, he asked the king for permission to return to his city to rebuild it. I think the biggest lesson we can learn from Nehemiah is his perseverance. There were several attempts to stop Nehemiah from rebuilding the wall, but he knew that it was God's plan for him and that God would give him the strength to do it. And not only that, he finished it in only 52 days! Nehemiah knew what he was supposed to do and he did it. That's what God wants all of us to do. He gives us our instructions and the strength to carry them out. So the next time your tempted to quit, ask God to give you the strength to keep going!