2 Timothy 1:12
For this reason, I also suffer these things; nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.
Beloved,
In mastering how to hold forth your faith, you must exact your will. You must exact your will over any circumstance you face because your will is very powerful. Know the difference between power and strength. Power is the ability to carry a thing, but strength is the ability to carry that thing for a long time.
Next to the Holy Spirit, the strongest force on the earth is the will of a man. You can hold forth your faith for anything depending on the strength you have. You must learn to exact your will when you are practicing your faith. But if you want your will to take you far, you must first submit it to the will of the Father. Even if grace is available but your will is weak, you still will be unable to achieve anything. Blind Bartimaeus had a strong will that refused to be shut down. When he learned that Jesus was passing by, his strong will made him cry more loudly despite people telling him to quiet down because he needed to catch Jesus’ attention. The result was that he got his healing.
Beloved, trying to yield to God’s will in an area when you are in absolute refusal to his will in another area is hard. It jeopardizes the strength of persuasion on any matter. So when you feel your grip on faith weakening, check your obedience in other areas. Once you see that area where your will is in conflict with God’s instructions, fix that then you will have the strength to hold on to faith.
I commend you to God and to the word of His grace.
I call you NATIONS. I call you blessed.
