Your Daily Devotional for July 13, 2006

 

July 13, 2006

 

Hang in There!

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

 

“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.”

 

2 Timothy 3:12-14

 

I remember hearing of a high school kid one time who wanted to play baseball. He wasn’t very good, but he had played some little league and wanted to make his high school team. During the first few days of practice, the coach ran all the prospects through numerous drills and exercises that were meant to weed out all the half-hearted players.  After the first couple of days, ten guys had already dropped out and this kid was thinking of quitting. The only reason he didn’t quit was because every day, after practice, one of the seniors on the team came by and told him to “hang in there!” He soon became the starting pitcher of the team who helped them win their first state title!

 

Friend, the Christian life is more of a marathon than a sprint. Just like in any race, there are things in the Christian life that get in our way and that try to distract us or knock us down. It doesn’t matter how long you have been on the journey; every Christian with a godly testimony will face these trials.

 

Whenever someone is lifted up by God, there will be those who attempt to destroy him. If there is a prominence, there is a payment. There are so many godly people that try to help others, yet they are continually being bombarded with problems—giving them the desire to quit. Christian, when you reach out to try to help others, be aware that this is a great burden and that you could end up getting hurt.

 

So, what do we do when we are knocked down and don’t feel like getting up? Pray! It was once said, “Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer." Friend, when you have been hurt by somebody, or you don’t feel like going on, take a quick breather in the Christian life—spend some extra time alone with God. He made you and He knows what you can and cannot do!

 

Don’t be afraid to come to God and tell Him that you blew it—that you fell down in your journey.

Proverbs 24:16 says, “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again:” Think about who was writing that verse, King Solomon. He had a good example of this just man, his father King David. David had fallen into sin with Bathsheba, had killed Bathsheba’s husband, and had failed as a godly father! Yet, Solomon could still say that a just man would continue to rise back up as his father did.  David was “a man after God’s own heart”!

 

Friend, don’t ever get so discouraged that you quit the Christian race. Hang in there. The end is coming soon! First Corinthians 10:13 says, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able…” Isn’t that a great promise?

 

We are not running this race alone! Take time to run in for a “pit stop” and share your fears with God. Tell Him that you need help in running this race and that you can’t do it alone. He is more than willing to help you if you just ask! Then, get back in the race and finish strong!

 

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