by Shayla Asselin
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Galatians 6:9
I recently read a story about a man who caught the "fever" in the gold rush days. This man headed out west, staked a claim, and went to work. After several weeks of digging, he found the shining ore. Because he didn't have the money or the machinery necessary to bring the ore to the surface, he went back to his home in Maryland and borrowed the money from his friends. After he purchased the equipment and arranged for its delivery, he traveled back out west to claim his fortune. When the first cart of ore was mined and shipped to the smelter, he was told that he had found one of the richest mines in Colorado. He would be able to pay off his debts with a few more carts like the first one, and then he could keep all of the profits for himself! It was his "lucky" day.
Within a few days, he got the carts needed to pay off his debts. Now it was time to make some money. Down went the drills! But, the vein of gold ore was gone. He drilled on for weeks hoping and praying that he would find the gold again. Weeks turned into months. Still no gold. Finally, he quit. He sold the machinery to a local junkman and went back home to Maryland. Before the junk man sold the equipment, he called a mining engineer to look at the mine. After the engineer looked at the mind and did some calculations, he discovered that millions of dollars worth of gold was only 3 feet from where the miner had stopped drilling!
Can I remind you? It's too soon to quit!
We've all been there when our prayers feel like they're slamming into the ceiling. The overwhelming feeling of hopelessness crashes against our weary hearts day after day, night after night. We've fought so long only to realize we're no farther than where we started months ago. Our exhausted souls can only handle so much. Eventually, the most frequently visited thought becomes surrender. As if he thinks it's his cue, the devil begins casting seeds of doubt and complacency in the soil of our minds. He then waters it with our bitter tears and starts to tend to our fainting heart.
What do we do next? The decision is up to you and me. We can give up. We can throw away every promise of God we clung to during the night. We can stop fighting for the victory already won for us on the cross. If we want to guarantee we never get what we're desperately desiring, we can quit. Or we can remind ourselves that what God has promised He is also able to perform. We can keep fighting, confident that it is the Lord our God that goes with us into battle. We can keep going, knowing that the victory awaiting us is far greater than any trial besetting us.
If you're contemplating surrender, take a look at all the victories already won. See how God has delivered you from every trial. I can tell you with assurance; God did not bring you this far to leave you.
If you find yourself in an impossible situation, let me remind you of the God who can make all things possible.
Maybe you're tired because you've marched around the walls six times, but persevere until you see what God will do on the seventh time around. Like Mary and Martha, you may feel like it's too late for your miracle, but God always shows up right on time. You could feel like Elijah's servant, tired of checking for the promise, but I think I see hope the size of a man's hand off in the distance. You could be like Naman, one act of obedience away from your healing. If you could only see how close you were to victory, you wouldn't quit.
Today could be your day of victory.
So keep fighting for your marriage. Keep fighting for your children. Keep fighting for your health. Keep fighting for your peace of mind. Keep fighting for your victory. Don't quit. Don't quit. Don't quit. Please, don't quit.
You've prayed too long and fought too hard for the victory. Don't give up now.
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