Don't Give Up!

Hebrews 10:35-36 (NLT) So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

The believers that this passage was written to we’re facing some enormous trials and persecutions in their lives. Slowly their confidence was being eroded away to where many of them probably felt like quitting. Paul, sensing this encourages them to not give up and to hang in there. He tells them that now is not the time to lose their confidence – victory is just around the corner! They just need a little patience and endurance and then they will receive all that God has promised them! I think most of us relate to this. There are times when you just feel like giving up and throwing in the towel. You are being hammered by life’s circumstances. You have stumbled and fallen and have failed over and over again. You are tired. You wonder if the effort is worth it. Paul speaks into your ear like I’m speaking to you right now – Don’t quit – you are almost to the goal line. As I write this, I am reminded of going to track and field events in High School. The runners would race around the track trying to win their heat. It wouldn’t be unusual for a coach to be standing or running along the track yelling and encouraging his team to “dig in” and to “not give up.” It was the motivation that pushed the runners forward to give all that they could give. God Almighty is whispering in your ear today. “Don’t throw away your confidence. Hang in there. You are almost there. The prize is so worth the struggle and the pain.”