"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid
up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on
that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing." (2 Tim. 4:7-8)
John Audubon, the well-known naturalist and artist, practiced great self-mastery in order to learn
more about birds. Counting his physical comforts as nothing, he would rise at midnight, night
after night, and go into the swamps to study certain nighthawks. He would crouch motionless in
the dark and fog, hoping to discover just one more additional fact about a single species. During
one summer, Audubon repeatedly visited the bayous near New Orleans to observe a shy water
bird. He would stand almost to his neck in the stagnant waters, scarcely breathing, while
poisonous water-moccasin snakes swam past his face. It was not comfortable or pleasant, but he
beamed with enthusiasm and is reported to have said, "But what of that? I have the pictures of the
birds!" (From 1500 Illustrations for Bibblical Preaching, p. 71)
If a man rendered such discipline and perseverance just for pictures of birds, how much more should we be committed to obtaining the crown of glory which the Lord will give to those who serve Him?