When You Feel Like Giving Up
by Cynthia Jennings on December 9, 2020There have been times in my life when I quit too soon. I’ve quit when what I really needed to do was to press on and press through. There have been times when I’ve gotten emotionally tired of the struggle-tired of trying. And you know what during those times I’ve missed many blessings because “I” decided to say just forget it. But you know what I had to learn that was not what I should have been doing so I made another decision, to stop quitting too soon.
When you read about the battle plan to take the Promised Land to the natural eye it might look strange.
The Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. 3 You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus, shall you do for six days. 4 Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 And when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.” (Joshua 6:2-5).
If we look at that plan today some might question if that’s what they should do because it doesn’t “look” like a sensible plan. That’s my point God’s infinite ways often don’t make sense in our finite minds.
According to scripture Jericho was tightly shut up, (Joshua 6:1). Have you ever felt as if Gods promises were tightly shut up from you?
God said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand.” Notice the verb tense. God did not say “I will give them into your hand.” He said, “I have given them into your hand.” God had already delivered Jericho into Joshua’s hand. What God promises is already done.
So, what do you do when what God says doesn’t match up with what you see? When all you see is a giant wall standing between your promise and your present situation? You’re doing everything you know how to do, and you still don’t see any movement. This is usually when most people give up—when they don’t see any progress. But this is when it is necessary to exercise the gift of faith. Yes, faith is a gift from God given to ALL Believers.
What God promises is already done. The assurances of Gods promises are throughout scripture. When we say we have faith that God will do something it should not be because it’s something that we (flesh) want. It should be because the proof of His promises has already been revealed in scripture and confirmed with you. So, the battle plan to take over the Promise Land really wasn’t strange, because God had revealed His promises to Israel many times before. Therefore, Joshua trusted (had faith) that the plan God gave him will come to pass, based off the evidence and assurance of what God had already done.
There is no longer the need for you to quit too soon. The giant wall standing between you and Gods promises is a reminder that God is always working (John 5:17). The Hebrew writer states, 35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised (Hebrew 10:35-36)
PEARLStoPONDER: When you hear someone say just have faith. This doesn’t mean something that we conjure up in our own strength. The word faith in the Greek (pisteuo) means trust. The verb form of pisteuo is translated “I believe or “I trust.” Faith yields in the Believer a confidence or sense of assurance as we continue to trust God through His promises. (Heb 1:1)
