Persevering in Faith

Persevering in Faith

    Elizabeth and I have been delighting in the bounty of wildflowers in our fields. It has brought me great joy to see the world through her five-year-old eyes. She marvels at the flora and fauna that most of us pass by. Her intense curiosity prompted me to get out an oversized book from 1935 on the subject of wildflowers. Turning the yellowed pages and looking at the faded photographs, it has been fun to identify and learn their names: Bladder Campion; White Ben, Rough Fruited Cinquefoil, Buttercup, Upper or Lower Bindweed, Yarrow, Honeysuckle, Queen Arm’s Lace. Some names are familiar, some are not.
     The hill where the wildflowers grow has now been dubbed Dragonfly Hill. Because dragonflies feed on other insects, the tall grass and wildflowers attract them in large numbers. Their shimmering bodies hover and dart through spectrums of color; exquisite blues and lavenders are complimented by soft yellows and greens. More intense yellows and purples and are splashed throughout the panorama. Whether flowers or dragonflies, God’s color wheel of nature is vibrant and alive on the hill.
    Strangely enough, the dragonflies and tall grass brought back a childhood memory. The house I grew up in was built on the acreage of an old farm. I found photographs from 1959 of my father and sister walking on the land that would soon become our property. My Great Aunt Libby’s husband, Nick Myer, was the contactor for the whole subdivision of three bedroom ranch homes, ours being second to last on the block. Later, Washington School (the grade school I attended) was erected behind our house. Beyond the school there was a pond and “The Cow Path,” named for the trodden down path that the cows made as they sauntered back and forth between the pasture and barn. I spent many hours in those fields catching tiny dragonflies and saving them in a small jewelry box. I can still remember how fascinating it was to stare into the eyes of a dragonfly. Somehow when I see Elizabeth lost in her secret child’s world I am partially plummeted back to mine. History repeats itself in the most unusual ways.
    The only shadow cast on Dragonfly Hill is from an old cement farm silo. Reminiscent of the one in my father’s farm picture, it’s hard and unyielding form is often contrasted against skies of soft azure or lofty cumulus clouds. It stands as monument of days gone by, a stark sentinel in time. When we first came to view the property where we now live, it reminded me of an Andrew Wyeth painting with its gray and somber tones. Whatever extreme the weather dishes out, this old relic perseveres to remain when almost every other visible sign of a working farm is gone.
    I too have been persevering, although my battle isn’t against the elements. It has been in the secret part of my heart which only God can see. I believe He has been trying to teach me, that to walk by faith I must persevere and believe His word with all of my heart. Perseverance is defined as persistence in anything undertaken; pursuit or prosecution of any business or enterprise begun; applied alike to good or evil (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary).
     Why is it that we have never truly arrived? Why is it that we will have to pursue believing God’s word for the rest of our lives? The perseverance it takes to keep trusting Him in troubling times comes from going from strength to strength. What do I mean? Well, one day when we were reading the Bible, Psalm 84, verses 5-7 caught my attention: "How blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee; In whose heart are the highways of Zion! Passing through the valley of Bacca, They make it a spring. The early rain also covers it with blessings. They go from strength to strength."
       Going from strength to strength is remembering what God has done for you in the past and choosing to go on with Him in the future – despite your fears or doubts about what the future may bring. Do you sometimes wonder how great men and women of faith made it through perilous times with such perseverance? They knew the Lord and trusted His word.
      Eric asked what Baca meant so I looked in a Bible concordance for the definition. We found out that it meant weeping and mourning. The deeper meaning of this scripture flooded my soul because I, too, have been weeping and mourning these last two months. The encouragement I found from scripture is that I am to make the valley of Baca a spring of worship, flowing with praise and thanksgiving to God for what He has done in the past and what He is going to do in the future, despite what my eyes see.
      Now I suppose you want to know why I have been weeping and mourning. Well, girls, what if God told you to be very patient through a trial and put all of your desires on hold? What if He told you that He was working out His perfect will and not to interfere? What if He told you that you were to persevere in prayer and fasting for what concerned you and then just rest in Him? Wouldn’t this cause you to weep and mourn?
     Possibly the greatest obstacle we must overcome in life is laying down a selfish will that always thinks its right. I’m sure if you are like me, some trials make you feel as if the Wailing Wall were right in your own backyard. If we want to be victorious, however, we must repent and offer a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to God.
    And now girls, I can hear you asking, “Mrs. Novak, are you asking me to trust God with all of my heart? For instance, can it really be true that if I obey my parents in all things, it will go well with me and I will live a long life?”
   Yes, girls, that’s exactly what I’m saying! This is your opportunity to persevere and believe what God’s word says even when you don’t understand. The blessing doesn’t come in getting your own way, but in laying your way down. And in that valley of weeping and mourning (because sometimes it will hurt more than others), you are to make a stream of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord for His faithfulness to you in the past, present, and future.
      But, if you doubt that God is big enough to cause all things to work together for good, you won’t praise him. If you fear that God is unable to cover you with blessings in the valley of Baca, you won’t thank Him. If you truly desire to please God you will have to be like the old cement silo on Dragonfly Hill. You will have to remain steadfast regardless of circumstances and persevere in faith for what you cannot see. Hebrews 11: 6 says: “And without faith it is impossible to please God. For whosoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him (RSV).”
    Circumstances like the elements will come and go, some harsh with multiple lessons, some just gentle reminders. The fact remains that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. To persevere in faith we must cast aside our doubts and fears, and trust Him with all of our hearts.
     The day I finished this article a remarkable thing happened right outside my window. The farmer who rents the surrounding farm land swept up and down the hill in a large green tractor. I was stunned as I watched the tall grass and wildflowers being mowed under. Because we’ve only lived here for little over a year, I wasn’t aware of this routine summer shearing.
    Is it a coincidence that I chose to write about faith and how significant my experience was on the hill, only to have it removed from my sight? Then suddenly it hit me! Isn’t that what it is like to live by faith? Hoping for what we know is true, regardless of what our eyes see! Despite the abrupt change in terrain the lessons I learned on Dragonfly Hill are a reality that cannot be altered by circumstances. My precious memories with Elizabeth are God’s covering, an early rain of blessings in the midst of mourning and weeping for the trials that I am going through this summer. The fasting and prayer that the Lord led me to partake of cleared my vision and
allowed me to see past my circumstances. My hope is renewed!
      I wish I could give you an easy formula for walking by faith, girls. The degree to which you believe God’s word will require a great deal of perseverance on your part. Romans 5:1-5 declares: “Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in the hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (NAS).”
     What is it that you will put your trust in, circumstances or God’s word? Be encouraged with this gentle reminder from scripture: "The grass withers and the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever." Isaiah 40:8

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