It’s Too Soon to Quit

In 2 Corinthians 4:16-17 it says, “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (NLT)

There is a difference between faithful people and unfaithful people. Unfaithful people give up at the first sign of difficulty. Faithful people keep on keeping on. Faithful people are determined, diligent, and persistent. They don’t know how to quit! You know how a little acorn becomes an oak tree? An oak tree is just an acorn that has refused to give up.

I don’t have it all figured out, but one thing I know is: I am never a failure until I quit, and it is always too soon to quit. God uses tough times to test my persistence.

When I go through tough times, this verse is something to hold onto: “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:16-17 NLT).

God is more interested in what I’m becoming than what’s happening to me. He often allows trials, troubles, tribulations, and problems in life to teach me diligence, determination, and character. The problem I’m going through right now is a test of my faithfulness. Will I continue to serve God, even when life stinks?

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9 NIV).

I shouldn’t let fatigue, pain, tough times or criticism force me off the job. Rather I need to renew my commitment to serving Christ. I can find purpose in what I'm going through. It can remind me of what Christ endured for me, keeps me from pride, causes me to look beyond this life, gives me the opportunity to prove my faith as an example to others and gives God the opportunity to demonstrate his power. I should look to see troubles as opportunities. Asking “why” is the wrong question, instead ask, "God, what's your purpose in this"? Nothing comes into my life by accident. God can bring good from every thing. The trials I encounter reveal my character, maturity, security, value and faith. God's purpose for my life will always be greater than my problems. I need to learn to trust him. 

God Walks Through the Trials with Me

In review of Isaiah 43:2 it tells me, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” (NIV)

Going through rivers of difficulty will either cause me to drown or force me to grow stronger. If I go in my own strength, I am more likely to drown. However, if I invite the Lord to go with me, he will provide protection.

There’s an expression that some people use when the pressure gets tight and the deadlines are close. They say, “The heat is on.” No one likes that feeling.

The Prophet Daniel had three friends who truly experienced the heat being on them (Daniel 3).

In Daniel 3, when his friends wouldn’t bow in worship to a statue of King Nebuchadnezzar, the king angrily had them tossed into a fire and had the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual. Literally, the heat was on.

But God walked with them through it: “Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, ‘Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?’ They replied, ‘Certainly, Your Majesty.’ He said, ‘Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods’” (Daniel 3:24-25 NIV).

Of course, you and I know it wasn’t “a son of the gods” in there with those guys. It was Jesus, the only Son of God. He was walking through the fire with them. And God promises that he’ll walk through the fire with me, as well.

Jesus tells me, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20 NIV).

The Bible says I’ll never be alone. God will always be there with and for me.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze” (Isaiah 43:2 NIV).

The Bible doesn’t say if you pass through the waters; it says when you pass through the waters.

No doubt, I will have troubles. But I can be assured that Jesus will always walk through them with me.

In summary, when I pass through the waters, the Lord will be with me; and when I pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over me. When I walk through the fire, I will not be burned; the flames will not set me ablaze. Daniel had three friends who truly experienced the heat being on them. But God walked with them through it. (Jesus was walking through the fire with them.) And God promises that he’ll walk through the fire with me, as well. The Bible says I’ll never be alone. God will always be there with and for me. The Bible doesn’t say if, but when I pass through the waters. I will have troubles. But I can be assured that Jesus will always walk through them with me.

This is something I pray for all who are affected one way or another from Covid 19. I pray that this situation can help bring them closer to God and a personal relationship. That his presence will help them as they walk through it. I pray also for myself. When the heat and pressure are on for things I’m going through, especially my work, that the Holy Spirit reminds me of knowing that when I invite God into it, he promises to be there for me. In addition I pray this morning for wisdom and guidance for my day, my leadership and my interactions with others. I ask these things through your Son Jesus name, Amen.

Learning that My Troubles Are Opportunities

In review of 2 Corinthians 4:17 it says, “Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”

Bottom Line:

The afflictions we face today are only for a short time. Yet they will produce a glory that will vastly outweigh them. A glory that will last forever!.

What this means to me:

Any of my present troubles are small and they won’t last very long. Yet they produce for me a glory that vastly outweighs them. A Glory that will last forever!

As I face great trouble, it's easy to focus on the pain rather than on my ulitmate goal. Like an athlete, I must focus on the reward for my faith and the joy that lasts forever. No what happens to me, I have the assurance of eternal life, when all suffering will and and all sorrow will flee away.

It's easy for me to lose heart and to want to quit. We all face problems that cause us to think about giving up. So rather than quitting, I should concentrate on experiencing the inner strength that comes from the Holy Spirit. I shouldn't let fatigue, pain or criticism force me off the joy. I should renew my commitment to serving Christ, and not forsake my eternal reward because of the intensity of today's pain. My very weakness allows the resurrection power of Christ to strengthen me moment by moment.

I should not let my troubles diminish my faith or disillusion me. There is a purpose in my suffering. The problems and limitations have several benefits:

1) they remind me of Christ's suffering for me

2) they keep me from pride

3) they cause me to look beyond this brief life

4) they give us opportunities to prove our faith to others

5) they give God the opportunity to demonstrate his power

I can learn to see my troubles as opportunities!

The ultimate hope when experiencing terrible illness, persecution, or pain is the realization that this life is not all there is, there is life after death. Knowing that I will live forever with God in a place without sin and suffer can help me live above the pain that I face in this life.

In retrospect, God has given me a dream, a vision for my future. Often it seems my dreams see like distant illusions that will never come to fruition. I can be encouraged in knowing that He can restore me to what the enemy has taken. In one moment, He can return to me a lifetime's worth of heartache and defeat.

The darkest hour is always just before the dawn, and your change will come when it seems most impossible. So I should get ready! I’m about to experience a complete breakthrough that will be as the latter rain, making my future years better than the former.

Today’s verse helps me realize that while I’m experiencing some difficulties in a current project at work (suppliers who may not be coming through in line with the timing needed on the project), it won’t last forever.  My response should be to look to God to handle the areas I don’t have control of and to give the ability see that which I can take action on.

God Is Good All the Time

In summary of 2 Corinthians 4:8b-9 it says, “We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.”

Bottom line:

Trouble surrounds us, and we believe we are beyond our breaking point.  We think we will never make it through it.  We learned to stop relying on just ourselves and instead learning to rely on God.

What this means to me:

There are many times when I pressed on all sides, mainly with deadlines, commitments, and new problems surfacing everyday.  But If stop relying on just myself to get through it and instead rely on God, I can make it through anything.  God has told me that he will never leave me.  I need to keep the perspective that God is developing within me the character of Christ.  To do this, he must take me through circumstances in life, just like he did with Jesus.  God will use the dark and stressful times in my life for God.  He’ll use them to teach me to trust in him, to show me how I can help others and to draw his body of believers closer together.  So when I’m in difficult times, I need to refuse being discouraged.  God is with me, I just need to rely on him for protection and guidance.  In summary, troubles and pressures will come, I just need to rely on God, not myself.  God will never leave or abandon me.  I just need to give it to him.

Faith Testing

In summary of 1 Peter 1:7a it says,

“These troubles come to prove that your faith is pure. This purity of faith is worth more than gold”

Bottom Line:

Trials come to prove your faith is pure and genuine.  Purity of faith has the highest value in life.

What this means to me:

This verse reminds me that troubles and trials that come my way are a way of purifying and strengthening my faith.  To God my faith is more precious that any of the most valuable things (i.e Gold.)  God has repeatedly told me in his Word that he will meet my needs.  In every promise is a condition and that condition is that I trust in Him.  The more I trust God, the more God is able to meet needs that come up in my life.  What I’m learning is that faith doesn’t come from just talking about it.  Faith is more like a muscle which gets developed as it is used.  Like building any muscle, the more I use it, the more it gets stretched and the more God is able to bless me.  The circumstances that God creates to stretch my faith is the "troubles/trials":  They come to show my faith is genuine, being tested as fire will test gold.  There are four common trials that God uses to test faith, and, I have found that I’m in one right now. These are opportunities to develop my faith so I can trust God more.

• The Pressure Test - this one asks the question, “How will you handle stress?" Will I depend on myself, or will I depend on God? Psalm 50:15 says, “Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me" (NIV). Will I turn to God when i’m in trouble and not to other things?
• The People Test - God often uses people in my life to test and stretch and develop your faith. This test asks, “How will I handle disappointment?” Life is often disappointing. Plans don’t turn out the way we planned them. But the most disappointing thing in life is people. I get disappointed by people because I often expect them to meet a need that only God himself can meet. This is a test!  In this my problem is not the people in my life. My problem is my response to the people in my life. People are not the problem, and they’re not the answer to the problem, either. The answer is God. When I expect other people to be my savior, I’m setting yourself up for disappointment.
• The Persistence Test - this one asks: "Will I keep my commitments?" Life is about making commitments. The problem most of us have today is that we are only half committed to two dozen things instead of being totally committed to the one or two things in life that really matter for now and eternity. Such a waste!  If i’m weak I turn toward giving excuses. If I’m strong I’ll find the time and way to do what I said I’ll do.  This is a test of the kind of character you’re going to develop.
• The Priorities Test - This is the most important test, and it asks, "Who will be first in my life?" How will I you know if God is really first priority in your life? By asking myself three questions: What do I think about the most? Where does my money go first? How do I spend my time? Answers to these reveal the priorities of my life.

God’s Word tells me that “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12 NLT).  This crown he mentions is a symbol of all that God wants to do in my life — all the blessings he wants to bestow on me, all the needs he wants to meet, all the rewards he wants to eventually give me in Heaven. Such a great a deal if I can keep focused when troubles and trials come my way!