“And have no
root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or
persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.”—Mark 4:17
When people have been married for
many years, you might hear the expression used, “their marriage stood the test
of time.” However, this could also be
said about friendships. Have you ever
wondered what the expression means, “it stood the test of time?” Most generally, it means that something endured
over a long period of time. In other words,
endurance is the central idea of “standing the test of time.”
In our verse for today, Apostle Mark
is referring to people who have heard the Word of God, but because they lack
the quality of endurance they are
easily offended when persecution comes. We
read here, that man’s natural human reasoning cannot provide the endurance—that
quality that will stand the test of time.
It is only through the blood-bought covenant that we have with Jesus
Christ that we as Christians can have the ability to endure—to stand the test of time.
Beloved, endurance means, the survival or persistence of something
despite the ravages of time. It is
exciting to think that the Bible has survived
the test of time. God Word endures
forever. He spoke the worlds into
existence. God’s spoken Word has endured
the test of time. We hold onto His
Word and not man’s wisdom; therefore, we are able to survive and thrive in this
new millennia reign because it is God
and His word that has stood the “test of time.”
Prayer—Father
in the name of Jesus, I as you to touch my mind and forgive me when I trusted
in man’s natural human reasoning, instead of relying upon your Eternal Word for
my life and ministry. Now, Lord I ask
you to pluck up anything in my life that does not reflect you and what will “stand
the test of time,” in Jesus Name. Amen.
