Never Give Up                                                                             09-05-14

1 Corinthians 1:26-29 (NASB) ²⁶  For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;
²⁷  but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,
²⁸  and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are,
²⁹  so that no man may boast before God.

This scripture is actually an admonition of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthian church. He was scolding the church for being arrogant towards each other. Everybody thought that they were "all that." I've got a little different but still valid perspective on it today. Something that I personally hold on to if you will.  

You know the story don't you? Well, I will today recount it for you. In an address to the Harrow School in Britain on October 29, 1941, Winston Churchill, in what is now a famous speech said the following. The relevant part of the speech has become a part of famous quotation books everywhere. "...Never give in. Never,never, never,never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense.Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."  This quote came to mind this week as I read the above scripture. You know, God doesn't do or look at things the way we down here do, does He? Whenever I read that passage above, I am always reminded of a few people that are very close to me.

This is a passage of scripture that speaks personally to me. A few years ago the Lord used this scripture to encourage me to never give up on people(myself included), even when the circumstances were screaming the opposite. Sometimes it is difficult to keep on believing the best about people. It is HARD to keep a positive outlook when they are "out there" and walking that thin line on the edge of that cliff. You hearin' me here? You know how it goes. People start raising an eyebrow at that kid of yours and their shenanigans. It doesn't have to be a kid, but, it is, more often than not.They start talking,.. you try to turn a deaf ear, but, all you can do is silently agree. Or they don't say a thing and that silence is even more deafening. And after a while you start believing all the negative about them. It becomes all the more difficult to "see" them as saved, sanctified.....you know don't you.

Or to make things down home and personal the person that is on that thin line, the person that is peering over the edge of the cliff, the one who is "out there" may be YOU! Oh yeah it can happen to any of us. We don't have to be "sinning" to fall victim to the enemy's  snares. No, no. It can be a job failure or even a job loss. It might take the form of failing to live up to other's and sometimes your expectations of your potential. It might be a sickness. There are as many circumstances as there are stars to give you a sense of hopelessness. Capisce? However,......HOWEVER that is NOT the way GOD looks at it. BUT GOD.

The world may have given up on that kid. The world may have given up on you. YOU may have given up on you.  Other people may have turned their back and given up on them. They have thrown you out with yesterday's newspaper.BUT,that's where God shines isn't it? Look at this. God has chosen what?
The foolish things, the weak things, the base things, the despised things... to do what?? To shame the wise, to shame the strong, to nullify all of those who had thrown you on the trash heap. To SHUT UP all the boo birds in the cheap seats. Yes, it is hard to hang in there. As a matter of fact, we can't hang in there, UNLESS we grab hold of God and suck His grace and strength into our veins. Allow His perspective to become our own. As it was told me many years ago. God gets a big kick out of pulling someone out of the ditch, cleaning them up, and making something out of them. That is what He does best. Amen??Amen!! Never give up.

Psalm 56:8-9 (NASB) ⁸  You have taken account of my wanderings; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?
⁹  Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call; This I know, that God is for me.



God Bless