It was the apostle Paul who likened the Christian life as a race ( 2 Timothy 4 v 7) ,in relation to it being a race ,one could add to that, and see it as a race with hurdles. If you have been a Christian as long as I have you will realise that there will always be hurdles you have to get over.Disappointments are hurdles that all of us have to face, how do we overcome our disappointments ? , bring them to God ,and leave them with God,and focus as to what He says in His word,that all things are working together for our good .(Romans 8 v28)yes even our disappointments.Then there are trials ,they are hurdles not ones we have to get over ,but to get through.The question is how do we get through them? ,faith, Peter tells us that trials will prove the genuineness of our faith . (1 Peter 1 v 7)There are many who when trials come fall away, (13 v 21) they are only rice Christians. If our faith is genuine it will show it in our perseverance,in our faithfulness,in our stedfastness.Make no mistake our faith will be tried one way or the other, may we be found faithful,as we go through that hurdle.The next hurdel we will consider ,is when a crisis comes,an extreme example of a man who experienced one crisis after another was Job,how did he deal with what was happening to him. James 5 v 11 reads ,'Ye have heard of the patience of Job'.some translations have perseverance,I am sure those two things are complimentry,In Job 1v20- 22 we read that he worshipped, and he did not sin by charging God with wrong doing.
'So Spirit, come, put strength in every stride,
Give grace with every hurdle,
That we may run with faith to win the prize
Of a servant good and faithful'
StuartTownend @Keith Getty