Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy
Welcome to Day 534 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
Perseverance - The Tools in Gramps' Backpack


Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 534 of our Trek, and we are hiking a series of trails called ‘The Tools in Gramps’ Backpack.'   Each Monday for a total of 20 weeks we will explore a different tool that is needed to equip parents and grandparents to train their children and grandchildren to be successful on their trek of life. If you don’t have children or grandchildren of your own, use these tools to train others that you do influence. Today the fifth tool from Gramps’ Backpack is: ’Perseverance.'We are broadcasting from our studio at ‘The Big House’ in Marietta, OH.   To continue on your trek of life each day at times is not easy.  Most of our lives are less than ideal, and many of our daily life routines are quite boring.  Although through this podcast and social media the life that Paula and I live may seem that it is filled with activities which include many exciting and enjoyable times, most days are quite routine.  Yes, we do enjoy life, but that is primarily by choice, as we have our share of challenging and difficult days.  What keeps us moving forward is our consistent persistence each day regardless of the obstacles that we may face.  Certainly, our faith is the foundation for our life, but it is perseverance in the face of disappointments and struggles that gives us the strength to take the next step.  On our trek for today the tool that we will explore from Gramps’ backpack is:
Perseverance
The tool of perseverance allows us to overcome disappointments and transcends failures.  Hebrews 10:36 encourages in this way: Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

You cannot persevere unless there is a trial in your life.  There can be no victories without battles. There can be no mountain peaks without deep valleys.  If you desire the blessing, you must be prepared to carry the burden and fight the battle.  God has to balance privileges with responsibilities, blessings with burdens, or else you and I will become spoiled pampered children.If you’ve led a perfect life with absolutely no mess ups, blunders, mistakes, or failures, then today’s trek may not be for you.  If you are like the rest of us, you know that disappointments and failures are an inevitable part of life.   These setbacks are simply the price that must be paid for maturing as we gain wisdom and knowledge about life.  Even when you experience bitter disappointments, which you will, you must not lose your faith.

When times and situations are difficult, the Bible teaches us that: Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.  These reassuring words remind us that when we persevere, we will eventually receive that which God has promised.  Even when we fail, God is faithful.  What God requires of us is perseverance, not perfection.

When we encounter the inevitable difficulties on our daily trek of life, God stands ready to protect us.  While we are waiting for God’s Word to illuminate our way, we do not need to fear the darkness, and we can be comforted in the knowledge that our Creator can overcome any obstacle, even when we cannot.  Psalms 119:105 says: Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.

All of us hike our own trail of life, or to put in into a sports analogy we are running a race as the Apostle Paul taught us the importance of perseverance in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!