When God said that everything written in Scripture was meant to teach us, He didn’t simply mean head knowledge. Romans 15:4 points to “the endurance taught in the Scriptures” as something we can learn. Since Scripture teaches endurance, then we need to get beyond merely what the Bible says to what it means for our lives.
Since Scripture Teaches Endurance, Then We Should Teach for That Purpose
Life can be full of ups and downs. Sometimes fears, failures, discouragement, conflict, persecution, troubles, and all sorts of obstacles cause us to want to give up. God doesn’t promise to keep us from hard times. Rather He uses these times to teach us and grow us. — “… the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)
We need to present students with a realistic view of the Christian life. Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (Jn. 16:33)
God will deliver us but it may not happen immediately. God will bear fruit in and through our lives as we abide in Him but we may not see that fruit right away. We may not even learn about how God has used us in people’s lives. Yet, we’re told to “not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Gal. 6:9).
Examples of Endurance in Scripture
As we read through the Bible, we find real people with real problems. While their situations may differ from ours, we can learn endurance. As people waited on Him and trusted in Him as they endured whatever God allowed into their lives, He came through for them.
Abraham left everything based on God’s promise to make him a great nation yet didn’t bear the child through whom this promise would come true until he was one hundred years old. God is faithful but His timing may not be what we’d expect.
David, though he had a heart after God, still failed, having committed the sins of adultery and murder. But, he repented. Though God forgave Him and still used his lineage through which the Messiah would come, He didn’t remove the consequences of His sin.
Daniel and his friends faced persecution for doing what was right before God. Though Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den and his friends into a fiery furnace, God did deliver them. He used their endurance to teach others about Himself.
Jesus also faced persecution, betrayal, and great suffering though He did no wrong. Unlike Daniel and His friends, God did not deliver Him from agony and death. Yet, “for the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2). God was able to keep Him from dying but He didn’t because of the big picture, because of what His death would accomplish.
As we teach these biblical accounts, and others, let’s help people gain this kind of perspective so they learn the merit of enduring.
The Real Lesson About Endurance Learned Through Scripture
More important than what people endured, how long they endured, or their attitudes toward it, is what enabled them to endure. It wasn’t just having the right perspective or purpose. Rather, it was the Person they knew — “the God who gives endurance and encouragement” (Rom. 15:5).
In our teaching, let’s make sure we take our students beyond the stories, to the God at work in and through them. The real lesson isn’t following the example of biblical characters but rather relying on their God.