Keep Rowing

Sometimes we all become weary in well doing. Especially in the heat of the day or in the midst of a spiritual battle. God's word advises us all to, "let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." (Galatians 6:9) It's not the one who begins the race of faith "but he (or she) that endures to the end, the same shall be saved." (Mark 13:13). Are you burdened down by sin? He will forgive it all if you confess and forsake it. (Proverbs 28:13) Nothing can stand before your redemption in Christ except you. (Romans 8:31-39) And all those who wait upon the Lord Jesus will renew their strength. (Isaiah 40:31) God will give us the victory through Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57) He will be with us every step of the way. (Hebrews 13:5) No weapon of the enemy will ultimately be able to overcome us. (Isaiah 54:17) To that end, let's look to a text that speaks loudly of our good and faithful works for God (“faith without works is dead” James 2:20,26), and the pain and suffering that we (you and I) are consequentially experiencing as a result of persistently continuing to perform those good and godly deeds. For a moment imagine yourself inside the following Bible narrative, and that you are one of His disciples in the ship (a spiritual allegory of Christ, see Acts 27:31). THE BIBLE TEXT (Mark 6:45,46) And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people. And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray. AN AMPLIFICATION OF THE BIBLE TEXT (Mark 6:45,46) And straightway [immediately after Jesus had fed the five thousand in the wilderness east of the Sea of Galilee] he constrained [Greek: to necessitate: compelled] his disciples [his saved pupils; those students “chosen” (John 15:16) to study under him] to get into the ship [symbolically, to get into the church which is a vessel sent by God to convey us to Heaven; it is the Gospel ship], and to go to the other side [go to Palestine, go to The Promised Land] before unto Bethsaida [sailing under Bethsaida located on the NW end of the Sea of Galilee], while he sent away the [multitude of unsaved] people [who will (sadly) not ever be permitted to enter into The Promised Land (a type of Heaven)]. And when he had sent them [the unsaved multitude] away, he departed into a mountain to pray [a type and shadow of Acts 1:9, the ascension of Jesus Christ].