Posts
“Nobody
Likes a Quitter”
By Susanne
Scheppmann
Key Verse:
Psalm
27:14, “Stay with God! Take heart. Don't quit. I'll say it again: Stay with
God. (The Message)
Devotion:
It’s
that time of year. The time of year when people make New Year Resolutions. I don’t like New Year resolutions. Why you
ask? Because I never accomplish my admirable goals such as weight loss,
exercise, cleaner home, or more home cooked meals. I give up around the third week of January.
I quit.
Not
only do we like to finish what we start, we want to be the best at what we
do. We want to win. Both my sons like
to win at any game they play. I remember when they were little, my oldest son
had a tendency to change the rules as the game progressed, so he could become
the champion. I would watch from the
living room as my younger son’s face turned red at the injustice. With clinched fists, he would holler, “I
quit!”
Of course, this declaration always made my older son furious.
Nobody likes a quitter.
Nobody likes quitters, except God the Rejuvenator.
Think about the Prophet Elijah.
He called down fire from heaven.
He prayed for and received a downpour of rain in the midst of a
drought. Then he quit. He ran into the desert and sat under a lone
scraggly tree with the attitude of, “I have had enough, Lord," he said.
"Take my life!” (1 Kings 19:4 NIV)
In other words, “I quit!”
However, God came to rejuvenate Elijah. He refreshed Elijah with food, drink and
rest. Rejuvenated, Elijah went on to finish his ministry.
Nobody likes a quitter, but God the Re-establisher.
Do you remember Jonah? He
quit before he got started. Interestingly, God has a way about changing our
minds. After Jonah floated around in the
stomach of the whale for a while, God stepped in to encourage him to complete
the mission to Nineveh. The Bible says:
Then God spoke to the fish, and it
vomited up Jonah on the seashore.
Next, God spoke to Jonah a second
time: "Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach
to them. They're in a bad way and I can't ignore it any longer." This time
Jonah started off straight for Nineveh, obeying God's orders to the
letter. (Jonah 2:10-3:3 The Message)
Nobody likes quitters, except God the Restorer.
My favorite biblical quitter happens to be John Mark. This young Christian quit while on a
missionary endeavor with Barnabus and Paul.
He ran home when the going got tough. His desertion made the Apostle
Paul furious.
Have you already guessed what happened? You’re right! God restored
John Mark back to ministry. God restored
the relationship between John Mark and Paul. Look at what Paul wrote, “Only
Luke is with me. Get [John] Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me
in my ministry.” (2 Tim. 4:11 NIV)
So what about you? Have you
ever been tired of ministry, tired of family, or sick and tired of being
tired? Have you felt like throwing in
the towel and shouting, “I quit!”?
Unfortunately, I have quit more times than I like to admit. Yet, I
know God the Refresher, the Encourager and the Restorer. He urges me on just as
He did with Elijah, Jonah and John Mark.
He whispers in my heart, “Haven't I commanded you? Strength! Courage!
Don't be timid; don't get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step
you take." (Joshua 1:9 The Message)
Don’t quit! Listen to God
whisper, “Be strong. Be courageous! Keep
moving on the life path He has placed you. God sees you as a winner!
Prayer:
Father
God, sometimes I feel like quitting. I
want to quit being a wife and mom. Some
days I would like to quit being me and be someone else. Lord, I am asking You to encourage and
refresh me on the days, I want to quit.
And if I have quit on something I shouldn’t have, I ask that You restore
me. Lord, thank you for not giving up on
me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Application steps:
Read
Joshua 1. Underline in red pencil every
time you see the words “Be strong and courageous.” List a few things you need to be strong and
courageous about in your life. Then ask
the Lord to remind you each day of this truth, “The Lord your God will be with
you wherever you go.”
Refection points:
Do
I consider myself a quitter?
How
does God encourage me when I want to quit?
Do
I allow myself enough rest so that I do not feel fatigued constantly?
Can
I view myself as a winner through the eyes of God?
Power verses:
Galatians
6:9, “So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right
time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit.” (The Message)
Isaiah
40:30-31, “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on
wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be
faint. (NIV)
Matthew
11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you
rest.” (NIV)
Psalm 27:14, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and
take heart and wait for the Lord.” (NIV)
Judges
6:12, “When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, "The Lord
is with you, mighty warrior." (NIV)
© 2006 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.
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