Perseverance pays

**Joyce Meyer

In the early years when we were building our ministry, Dave and I went through a lot of difficult tests. I needed to work on my attitude. We needed to work on our marriage and how we handled money.

For six years I bought my socks and underwear at garage sales. We were totally broke, and I was teaching prosperity!

Not only that, it just was not popular for women to preach back then. We lost friends and had family members who did not want anything to do with us.

It was just hard and sometimes I wanted to quit. But today I am so glad that I stuck with God because there are people all over the world who have been helped because of our ministry.

Scripture tells us in Matthew 19 that we will have to leave 'important' things behind for the sake of following Him. We did not have everything we thought we needed back then, but the trade-off ended up being more than worth it.

Persevere in your walk with God, even it is hard. Stay focused on Him, and it will all pay off when you enter the victory He has for you.

Prayer starter: God, sometimes it is hard to persevere in the Christian life, but I know that the perseverance will pay off. I will follow You alone, because You are all that matters.

Matthew 19:29

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.