I would dare say everyone reading this blog today has their own personal testimony or story of perseverance- and that’s the point. We’ve all had moments and times, whether physically or mentallly where we just wanted to throw in the towel. If that is you, please read on.
Give up on God or give up on people-you name it, we’ve all been there. Giving up is the easy way out but it’s not the answer. And although it can be a temporary fix you will come back to that very place at some point and be tested again, so let me encourage you now to press into hope and not into the temptation to give up.
ALL OF US HAVE BEEN THERE!
Yet we are still here today, because we didn’t give up. We made it through those times and we will make it through the tough time right now by Gods Grace.
Key #1 Shout Grace this week if you have mountains. Learn to shout God’s grace daily until you see victory or breakthrough.
Zechariah 4:6 This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: “not by might nor by power, but by my spirit,” says the Lord of hosts. Who are you, oh great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of grace Grace to it.
Zerubbabel was given the task along with another man to rebuild the temple of God- that had been previously destroyed. This was a huge task that had great obstacles in front of it. He could’ve easily gotten distracted or discouraged and given up.
Beloved, this is a picture of what God is doing right now in the hearts of many of us. God is rebuilding things dear ones. He may be rebuilding your life, your marriage, your family or your faith. You name it and he is rebuilding it, but he is doing it by his Spirit. We are given opportunity to agree with him and his process of rebuilding but only as we determine that we will not give up.
Key #2 Use the Scriptures to inspire and encourage you and as weapons in your fight of faith.
2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Few of us understand true persecution, perseverance, trials, tribulations or injustices- like the apostle Paul did. And yet he fought til the end to keep his faith in tact.
What’s impossible with man is possible with God.
Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, ‘with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.‘
God helps us in our weaknesses and he gives us rest. He won’t let go of us during such difficulties.
Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Even in our weakness and struggles, God just wants us to come to him. He will give us rest, as we let him lift off the heavy yokes and give us his light one.
KEY #3 REMEMBER GOD’S FAITHFULNESS
Hindsight is a beautiful thing. It gives us the insight for the moment and the clarity and foresight to where we need to go.
This is the point of this weeks blog.
Don’t give up in your struggle, because you’re not in the fight alone. All of us have been there, even Jesus, and we made it through and so will you.
Key #4 Let Go of Control
While you wait, give the reigns of your life over to God. Let him be the The Good Shepherd of your soul. Give him time and space each day to lead and guide you.
Psalm 23 “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul.; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For his name sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For you are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord, Forever.” 
I know you may be struggling today but I encourage you to take a look at this familiar Psalm and learn from King David how to let go. Give God the opportunity to control your outcomes. He is way better at producing amazing results than you are. Now this may involve your cooperation as he leads you but it won’t be you controlling the matter.
God will never steer you in the wrong direction. He is faithful and always will be to you, so don’t give up on him in your process.
Right now God is resetting us and re-ordering us according to his purpose. This resetting is different for every one of us, so it’s important that we learn our lessons now. It’s important that we repent quickly. It’s important that we let go quickly. It’s important that we give God permission quickly, to do what he needs to do in our lives.
I don’t pretend to know your situation but I do know God, and I know that he’s no respecter of persons; he was faithful to deliver and help me and he will be faithful to you too.
Key #5 Trust in His Love God loves you with such an everlasting and fierce love; it’s a devoted and committed love. I seriously don’t think that our finite brains have the ability to comprehend the kind of love God has for us, but the Bible clearly paints the picture for us at the cross, and in the New Covenant written with His blood.
Hebrews 9:15 “So Jesus is the One who has enacted a new covenant with a new relationship with God so that those who accept the invitation will receive the eternal inheritance he has promised to his heirs. He died to release us from the guilt of the violations committed under the first covenant.”
“Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.” In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” (Matthew 26:26–28; Mark 14:22–24 Luke 22:19–20; 1 Corinthians 11:23–25)
John 3:16- “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
God‘s not condemning you right now. Your adversary the devil might be doing that, your conscience or your inner critic might be doing that -but not God, so don’t give up.
Isaiah 40:29-31 “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
There may be issues that you need to work out with God; there may be areas of compromise in your life that is hindering your forward movement. Those areas may need a reset where repentance is required. Or there may be weak places within your character that God is coming to strengthen and develop for where he’s desiring to take you- Let him do it. You and the Lord are the only ones who know these things.
The point is DON’T GIVE UP.
Key #6 Keep the Faith In Transition
It’s in the surrendering to Him and his purpose that the process is completed and we experience breakthrough and freedom. The transition is where we can get stuck many times because we like to be in control.
Galatians 6:9. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Unfortunately we don’t get to choose our process with God, because we don’t know what’s best for us -but God does; and this is where we must stay in faith.
Can you honestly say that you trust God in your process right now? Do you trust that he is working all things together for your good? Do you trust him to bring you to a completed place at the end of your process? Do you believe he is a good God who loves you dearly? If the answers are yes then ask the Lord to help you obey him right now.
Key #7 QUICK AND FULL OBEDIENCE
The Bible says that Jesus himself learned obedience through the things he suffered.
We were never promised that we would not go through hard times.
That’s not the gospel. Any gospel that you hear that says that you’re not gonna go through hard times is a false gospel. WE ALL go through times of proving, testing and difficulties, but we will win if we don’t give up. It’s in the testing of our faith that we learn to trust God. This is where we learn that God is good even in the midst of trouble.
Don’t give up on God today dear ones-and don’t give up on others. Let it all go. Give them to the Lord. Give the pain to the Lord. Let the doubt and fear go; let the control and the anxiety go, and anything else that is holding you captive right now. Surrender it all to Jesus at the foot of the cross and watch the Lord make beauty out of your ashes, and victory out of defeat- in Jesus name.
God loves you dear ones and so do I,
Dana