No matter how old we are, every experience in life shapes who we are at this moment. We cannot change past decisions that led to heart-breaking paths, but we can look forward and accept the forgiveness, mercy, and love of God. Endurance is vital in facing life's struggles, as seen in II Thessalonians 1:4, where Paul boasts of patience and faith amid persecutions and tribulations. To endure means to bear with, to hold oneself firm, and to sustain through challenges. Paul further describes endurance in I Corinthians 13:6-7, stating that love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things, using a term that implies patient suffering and perseverance under trials without fleeing. Jesus adds depth to this concept in Matthew 24:12-13, warning that lawlessness will cause love to grow cold, but he who endures to the end shall be saved. Here, the end refers not to a distant time but to the termination of a specific act or state, possibly a significant event or daily challenge like the end of a job, relationship, or loved one's life. Enduring these trials requires urgency, as complacency can hinder growth into God's image. God works with us daily, providing tests and challenges to help us become more godly. Paul speaks of suffering in Romans 8:18, noting that present sufferings are not worthy to be compared with the glory to be revealed in us, suggesting that hardship is expected. In Romans 8:28, he assures that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. This promise applies specifically to God's people, urging us to reflect on trials that may have felt like punishment but are part of a greater plan. Even in severe ups and downs, as seen in the lives of Jacob and Joseph, God is involved in every detail, ensuring that all experiences contribute to ultimate good. Enduring is not just about surviving but about how we conduct ourselves through trials, making sound decisions, avoiding negative behaviors, and treating others with love and kindness as Christ would. During fiery trials, it is hard to recognize that all things work for good, yet God shapes events long before we realize it, intending for us to develop a deeper understanding of living as He does. Faith is crucial to accept His will above our own, trusting that He is working for our good and that of our loved ones. God's plan unfolds over years, decades, and centuries, ensuring all things work together for those called to His Family. Every situation in our lives comes with His approval, whether He allows or causes it to occur. Jesus Christ tells us that walking the narrow path is difficult, requiring sacrifices to seek the Kingdom of God. Examples of long-term endurance, like waiting for a son or entering a promised land, show that improving character takes challenging and joyful experiences over time. God is always there, creating and maneuvering circumstances for our benefit and others'. Faith and constant prayer are essential to endure every trial, giving thanks in all things as the will of God in Christ Jesus. The story of our lives is still being written, so we must never give up, remaining close to God, fighting, and staying patient to endure to the end of all things.

Jesus declares in Matthew 24:13, But he who endures to the end shall be saved. Enduring through life's problems and the unprecedented trials promised in Matthew 24:21 as the world nears its end is a profound challenge. The experiment with a lab rat illustrates a vital truth: remembering God's interventions provides the hope and motivation to endure, obey, and not faint, even as trials grow more challenging. Yet, the examples of Elijah and the Israelites reveal a deep tendency to forget God's power and interventions, leading to failure. Elijah, despite witnessing great miracles, ran and gave up, showing less endurance than the rat in the experiment. Similarly, the Israelites repeatedly forgot God's acts on their behalf, tempting and limiting the Holy One of Israel by not remembering His power. God commanded the teaching of these miracles through generations so that hope might be set in Him and His commandments kept. Despite this, forgetfulness remains ingrained in human nature, as seen in the name of the tribe Manasseh, meaning causing to forget. Remembering is crucial to enduring, but the failures of Elijah and Israel show the difficulty of this task, even with awe-inspiring experiences to draw upon.

Life often feels like a series of trials, especially for those who sense that time is short, as if it is final-exam time. God, being faithful, uses these trials as a necessary part of the Christian journey to complete the good work He has begun in us. Yet, enduring these challenges can be overwhelming, raising the question of how to combat discouragement and persist to the end. The foundation for enduring trials lies in understanding God's profound love for us, as revealed in I John 4:17: Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. This love gives us confidence and courage to face our day of judgment, which is now, and to triumph over trials as Christ did through His absolute faith in God's love for Him. We must follow His example, using the same faith to endure. Believing in the depth of God's love is crucial for endurance, as Luke 18:8 challenges us: When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth? This faith is not merely in God's existence but in His boundless love for us, a belief that sustains us even when physical evidence of His care is absent. Without this faith, as seen in Matthew 24:12, love grows cold amid lawlessness, leading to failure to endure. Conversely, Matthew 24:13 assures us that he who endures to the end shall be saved, highlighting that faith in God's love enables perseverance. Trials, even the most severe, are expressions of God's love, designed for our good and to perfect us. In the worsening times ahead, enduring persecution or hardship requires an unshakable belief that God loves no one more than us, ensuring that what we face is for our ultimate benefit. I John 4:18 further teaches that perfect love casts out fear; fear and worry indicate a lack of complete faith in God's love. If we truly believe that the God of infinite power and wisdom loves us supremely, there is nothing to fear. Our response to trials also measures our faith. Knowing that a trial is not arbitrary but purposeful, stemming from God's love, helps us see it as necessary for our growth. Additionally, trusting that God withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly reassures us that unmet desires are not beneficial for us at this time. Finally, we must never doubt God's love by taking matters into our own hands, as this reflects a lack of trust in His goodness and care. Building faith in God's love empowers us to face trials boldly, imitating Christ's faith. Perfecting this belief, as promised in I John 4:17, equips us with the strength to endure any challenge and stand confident in our day of judgment.

Greet it as pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter any sort of trial. Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith through trials produces patience. Trials are necessary for growth, as they prove and purge us of impurity, aiming to make us perfect and complete, lacking nothing. We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God, for Christianity is a narrow way. Christ has shown us the path, enduring a trial beyond our own for the tremendous joy that awaited Him. We have the same joy of eternal life awaiting us, though the journey will not be easy. Trials should produce growth, much like pruning a shrub to shape it into a more perfect form; so does God with us. Joy often comes after the trial, not before or during it. No one wishes for trials or finds ecstasy in pain, but when you face troubles and begin to fight, a glimmer of positive result emerges at the conclusion. Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before Him, thinking nothing of the pain and shame because of the joy He knew would follow. No chastening seems joyful in the present, but grievous; yet afterward, it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those trained by it. This joy is not ecstatic but a calm delight, a cheerful peace of mind, an awareness of survival and growth, a satisfaction that God has pruned us to become more like Him. Through trials, we come to appreciate our lives more, growing in thankfulness, understanding, and sympathy for others. Each trial is specific, designed to shape us into God's likeness. Though not seen initially, through perseverance and growth, this purpose becomes clear. Thus, we find happiness in God choosing us to endure whatever trials He may allow.

Every day, we face challenges to our faith through trials, temptations, fear, distractions, and pressure to compromise. God has called us to follow Him, to put on spiritual armor, and to trust Him in this battle. As Christian soldiers, we are engaged in spiritual warfare, striving toward the Kingdom of heaven with discipline, courage, and loyalty to Jesus Christ, even when it is difficult. We are in a spiritual battle with satan the devil, the world, and our own human nature. Just as soldiers endure suffering and hardship in war, we are called to endure spiritual hardships in this world, facing times of pain, both physical and mental, and sorrows that may lead to depression or bitterness. These trials, whether brought by satan or not, are exploited by him to separate us from Jesus Christ and our God, for he is our enemy. We must stand firm, prepared for the battles ahead, knowing that if we endure, we will reach our goal. Jesus Christ stands by our side, providing strength and resources, for only through His power can we overcome this spiritual war. God intends for us to endure hardship, not seek comfort, and to face these challenges with patience, a vision of the Kingdom of God, and without complaint. Suffering through trials, especially alongside our brethren, allows us to grow individually and collectively. Everyone will face trials, but this is how God desires us to mature and become more like Him. Our Savior is with us, so we must not give up, no matter the difficulty, standing and enduring together with each other under the leadership of Jesus Christ, the Captain of our salvation, who will never put us through more than we can handle.