Don't Give Up

I just want to quickly encourage you all to not give up.  So many times we are right on the edge of our breakthrough and because we loose steam, loose the fight, or stop pressing, we never get what God has right around the corner for us.  Ecclesiastes 9:11 says:
 "The race is not given to the swift nor the strong but he who endures until the end."

God would not admonish us to have endurance if we didn't need it.  He doesn't want us to give up!  If you just hold on a little longer, the blessing of the Lord is sure to overtake you.

Here's what I want to share with you today.  Do you know that the enemy gets busier as you get closer to God and what He has for you?  His number one priority is to keep you from getting there.  He wants to keep you depressed, oppressed, discouraged, downtrodden, impoverished, and useless. This keeps you from realizing who you are in Christ, who you are to God, and who God is to you.  Don't let him win.  Keep fighting! Keep believing!  Keep striving!  Don't give up!!!

Think of what would have happened if Abraham had given up, or King David, or Elijah, or most of all Jesus.  But they did not.  Jesus did not throw the baby out with the bath water, He suffered and endured for us.  As a matter of fact, He did it just for YOU!  So I encourage you to endure the sufferings and persecutions a little longer. Withstand the attacks of the enemy.  The Apostle Paul said  ^"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us", in Romans 8:18.  In other words nothing can compare to what God has coming up for you.  Believe that, stand on that, proclaim that, and don't give up!

~God Bless U

Challenges

I have to tell you all that over the last two weeks I've faced some pretty hard challenges.   I'm pursuing my degree on Communications and I'm almost there.  I have 20 more credit hours to go. Along with school, I work a full time job, full time ministry, husband, and 4 children. I've had finals, baseball games, recital pictures, illness, etc. My life is busy to say the least.  Sometimes it gets harder than usual, sometimes I get worn out, and sometimes I can't see my way through.  That's when life itself becomes a challenge.

Challenges seem like they come to throw you off, get you off track, but I encourage you today to think about the hurdles in your life differently.  God implored me to take a second look at what I was going through, and then He told me they wouldn't take me out... the test, trials, hurdles,  challenges I face would make me better.  Yes, you read right!  Without Jesus those things would have killed you, kept you in poverty, depression, and bandage. But you have everthing you need with God.  And so do I.

When I started to see my challenges differently, instead of dreading them and feeling defeated, I rose to the challenge. I looked at the situations in my life and I thought about every other challenge that God has brought me out of and found strength  and peace in the trust I have that He can bring me out of these situations too!  The Word of God tells us to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding".  Trust is the key! Trust that the challenge is not what you are facing. The real challenge is to trust God and rely on Him no matter good times or bad, because He has a plan for you!  Do that, succeed in that, and you can conquer everything else that comes your way. Just keep the faith and stay trusting Jesus!

God Bless U