Pastor’s Corner: “No Tapping Out”
Hebrews 10:35-36 (NLT) – 35 So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! 36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. Galatians 6:9 (NIV) – Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Sometimes we quit too soon. Have you ever quit when what you really needed to do was press on and press through? Sometimes we grow tired of the struggle — tired of trying and in the process we miss out on God’s blessings because we threw up our hands in the battle and said, just forget it! I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to do that any longer. I don’t want to stop too soon.
The battle plan for Joshua to take the Promised Land was as simple as it was strange, complete with marching for seven days around the city of Jericho, a whole army shouting and priests blowing trumpets. (Read more in Joshua 6:1-21.) Now, that was a strange plan. God’s infinite ways often don’t make sense in our finite minds. Sometimes we have to be willing to look ridiculous and be radical to live a remarkable life. But this can be exhausting and frustrating especially when nothing seems to be happening. And quitting can look like the path of least resistance which is exactly what our enemy wants us to do.
Jericho was “tightly shut” (Joshua 6:1, NLT). Sometimes it can feel like our promises are “tightly shut” as well. That doesn’t mean we give up. That means we suit up, step up and keep moving forward. In Joshua 6:2, God said, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands” (NIV). God did not say, “I will deliver Jericho into your hands.” He said, “I have delivered Jericho into your hands”. He had already done it, but the Israelites had to obey and put their foot down to receive it. I love how God speaks in past tense to our present problems.
But here’s the challenge: What do you do when what God says doesn’t match up with what you see? When all you see is a big wall standing between your promise and your present situation? There will be times when you’re doing everything you know to do, and you still don’t see any movement. The Israelites walked around Jericho for six days, and as far as they could tell, nothing happened. I’m sure it unnerved the people behind the wall, but as far as the walkers could tell, not one brick fell.
When we don’t see any progress, this is where many of us give up, including me. We say: “God, throw me a bone, show me a little something! Let me see just a hint of progress! Can I see one brick fall?” And God says, “Keep walking … by faith.” Just because you don’t see God working does not mean He isn’t. Jesus said, “My Father is always working” (John 5:17, NLT). The writer of Hebrews notes: “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised” (Hebrews 10:35-36, NIV).
Today, you might be on lap number seven around your “Jericho” and not even know it. Suppose they had stopped on day six, saying, “This is ridiculous, I’m not feeling it. Not one stone has fallen to the ground. I don’t see any progress. Those folks are probably in there laughing their heads off. So I’m going home.” They would have missed the blessing. I wonder how many times I’ve missed the blessing because I stopped too soon.
Have you ever wondered: How much longer will I have to wait until God brings my prodigal home? How much longer will I have to struggle with my unbelieving husband (wife)? How much longer will I have to endure this dead-end job? How many more laps will I have to walk around Jericho before the walls come tumbling down, and I can take hold of my Promised Land?
I don’t know the answer to the question of how much longer, but I do know this: Tomorrow could be the final lap. Don’t give up too soon. Don’t tap out of the fight. That is exactly what the enemy wants us to do. God has won ALL the victories by the blood of His Son Jesus! This is our confidence, not in what we see but in God’s promises and every Word that comes from His mouth. When we endure in patience, love and obedience, the Lord will prepare us, strengthen us and bless us in any and every circumstance!
Let us pray: Lord, sometimes I just want to give up. As a matter-of-fact, I am tempted to give up on something pretty important right now. Fill me with the power of the Holy Spirit on the inside, so I can persevere on the outside. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton