Too Soon to Quit
Today's Verse:
And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them. ~Judges 8:4
Dr. V. Raymond Edman was one of the great Christian leaders of the 20th century. He was a man who gave evidence of a close walk with God and was a greatly used preacher. He used to tell the students in his Bible college, “It’s always too soon to quit!” That’s a good motto for us when we are exhausted, perplexed, discouraged, or beaten down. Gideon had three hundred soldiers who had been nonstop in battle and were in hot pursuit of two remaining princes of Midian. This morning, let us be encouraged by the fact that these men were faint, yet pursuing.
We see the reason for weariness.
Gideon’s men had seen the mighty hand of God at work in overthrowing a large number of Midianite soldiers without human intervention. They had gone more than a day without sleep. They had little to no food in between, and they were severely dehydrated. However, there were still two Midianite princes who needed to be captured and dealt with. Weariness is a result of productivity and diligent work. Meeting deadlines, living by a schedule, and having goals to accomplish are purposes that are meaningful. If we are not weary in well doing, we are not working hard. Gideon’s men were weary to the point of fainting.
We see the resilience in weariness.
They were faint, yet pursuing. They were exhausted, hungry, and thirsty, but they kept pursuing. We must determine to keep going no matter what. Keep going in spite of opposition. Keep going in spite of setbacks. Keep going even though the goal seems so far away from accomplishment. Resilience means we need to keep our eyes focused on the goal. Resilience means that quitting is not a consideration. Resilience means that we are determined to get the job done. Dig down deep! Take a deep breath! It’s too soon to quit!
We see the resistance against weariness.
First, remember your calling. You are called to victory. You are called to finish your task. Paul said at the end of his journey, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” Let your calling by God define who you are. Second, remember your commitment. Those three hundred soldiers demonstrated commitment at a waterhole. They did not allow being outnumbered by the enemy to sway their commitment. I have seen many Christians whose commitment level is dependent upon who comes with them, who pats them on the back, and who goes first. Real commitment is putting yourself all the way in and staying with your pledge regardless if other people are with you or not. Third, remember your Captain. Remember that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Captain of our salvation. He did not turn back from going to the cross. He did not let the beatings, the vile words, the nails in His hands and feet, or the shame of the cross stop Him. "For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." They were faint, yet pursuing.
It’s too soon to quit! Don’t let the voices of defeat lead you to quit. Don’t let the setbacks in the journey discourage you to surrender. Don’t let bodily exhaustion and pain lead you to throw in the towel. You might be faint, but keep pursuing!
Have a persistent God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Isaiah 64-66
Comments