Hebrews 11:23-27 By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.
Struggle and heartache seem to be a part of the human experience. Who has not walked through valleys that seem hopeless or unending? Even Jesus cried out on the cross, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matt.27:46). Isn't it true that we sometimes ask the same kind of questions. "Where are you God?" "Why won't you do something in my life?"
I believe that we should always encourage one another to keep holding on, even in the bleakest hour. When our faith is stretched thin, when our strength seems nearly gone and our dreams have shattered like broken glass, we need that encouragement to NOT give up on the Lord. That giving up on the Lord would lead only to damaged self-esteem, forfeited blessings, and a strict limit on our usefulness to God. It's also a denial of 1 John 4:4, which teaches "Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." I believe abandoning divine help in favor of our own human strength is a rejection of the truth that God is faithful all the time.
The opposite of giving up is NOT always immediate triumph; sometimes we are called upon to persist until victory. The Lord may want us to bear up under affliction and remain steadfast in the face of temptation. Like Moses, we may be called on to persevere, "because he saw him who is invisible." (Heb. 11:27)
Stand Firm, Endure, and Be Blessed!
Struggle and heartache seem to be a part of the human experience. Who has not walked through valleys that seem hopeless or unending? Even Jesus cried out on the cross, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matt.27:46). Isn't it true that we sometimes ask the same kind of questions. "Where are you God?" "Why won't you do something in my life?"
I believe that we should always encourage one another to keep holding on, even in the bleakest hour. When our faith is stretched thin, when our strength seems nearly gone and our dreams have shattered like broken glass, we need that encouragement to NOT give up on the Lord. That giving up on the Lord would lead only to damaged self-esteem, forfeited blessings, and a strict limit on our usefulness to God. It's also a denial of 1 John 4:4, which teaches "Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." I believe abandoning divine help in favor of our own human strength is a rejection of the truth that God is faithful all the time.
The opposite of giving up is NOT always immediate triumph; sometimes we are called upon to persist until victory. The Lord may want us to bear up under affliction and remain steadfast in the face of temptation. Like Moses, we may be called on to persevere, "because he saw him who is invisible." (Heb. 11:27)
Stand Firm, Endure, and Be Blessed!
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