Title: Let's Never Give Up
Let's not give up.
Text: Galatians 5:9
“Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest, if we do not grow weary.”
Daniel Defoe, who wrote the novel 'Robinson Crusoe', wasn't initially recognized as a great writer. He was also named as the number one avoidable author that publishers hate to publish the most. Defoe had to knock on the doors of numerous publishers with Robinson Crusoe. I went to 20 publishers, but all of them were turned down. Still, he did not give up and went to the 21st publishing house and was able to finally bring ‘Robinson Crusoe’ to the world.
Richard Bark's famous novel 'The Seagull's Dream' was actually a book that was rejected 12 times. 'Love Story', a sweet love story, was also rejected by the publisher 12 times. The British detective writer John Gressi was rejected 743 times. Nevertheless, he did not give up and eventually published 543 detective novels. If you want to experience the true joy of life, do not give up in the face of obstacles.
The sculptor Rodin was rejected three times from the French National Academy of Fine Arts, and when his father lost his job, he had to earn money to support his family. After giving up his studies and making a living working in silversmithing, he was shocked by the news of his sister's death and entered the monastery. At the invitation of a monk, he returned to work, and he produced a work, but was rejected because of the fact that it was portrayed too realistically. Traveling again, doing this and that for life, he was greatly inspired by Italy and announced the ‘Bronze Age’, where he began to make a name for himself. He was then 39 years old. The environment did not accept him as an artist. He himself wasted his time with many worries and frustrations. However, he did not give up and his work, which started at a late age, changed the flow of modern and contemporary sculpture art. Disappointment and frustration can happen to anyone. But the courage to rise again is a gift given to masters. You are a celebrity. Start right now.
“The Lord sustains all who stumble and raises up the humble” (Psalm 145:14).
These days, many people get frustrated easily if they struggle a little bit, and sometimes they take their own lives. However, the trees never give up their lives, no matter how difficult they are. Occasionally, while walking through the forest, you may have seen new sprouts sprouting from the root of a cut tree. Even if people cut and cut again, the trees do not give up on re-sprouting and growing. Or you can meet trees that are growing leaning to the side even if they are knocked over by lightning. The trees are telling us that "I am alive" is the most beautiful and most precious thing in the world rather than "What I have accomplished." Try soaking carrots or radishes that your mom cooked and cut at home. Soon you will see green sprouts sprouting and beginning to life again.
The palm tree, also called the “date palm,” symbolizes prosperity, victory, and beauty because it grows well even in barren land (Matthew 21:8-9, John 12:13, Song 7:7).
Also called 'cypress or white pine', cedar is famous for its straight growth and incense, so it was used as wood for temple construction (1 Kings 5:6, 6:16). In an evil world, the righteous will suffer, but on the contrary, they will prosper and grow upright and upright. Let's all learn the heart of a tree that never gives up and always starts anew.
“There is a season and a time for every purpose under the heavens” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).
There was a pastor in his 50s whose lifelong wish was to publish a book. I wrote a manuscript and sent it to many publishers, but no one responded. The piles of manuscripts that returned after rejection were piled up. Disappointed, he tossed the manuscripts into the trash. At the startled wife, he shouted nervously.
“Take away all those manuscripts! I just wasted my time writing the manuscript.”
“God made all things, beautify them in their seasons, and put a longing for eternity in man; yet he has made all the works of God unsearchable from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
It is said that the following experiment was conducted with fleas in an elementary school. First, several fleas were placed on the floor and covered with a square glass cover to prevent the fleas from escaping. Then the fleas jumped and jumped to get out of the place, trying their best. And after a while, the glass cover was removed. But something strange happened. Even when the glass cover was removed, the fleas were still in their place. There are people like these fleas. There are hopeless people who give up after trying a few times and failing. At the very least, Christians shouldn't be such ungrateful people. Let's think about what we Christians need to do our best not to get discouraged and give up.
First, we must always strive to pray and do not get discouraged.
A widow often went to a judge who did not fear God and disrespected people and asked him to avenge me, but the judge did not listen for a while. How much more will God not hear the prayers of the saints crying out day and night? (Luke 18:1-8) A Canaanite woman came to Jesus and begged her to heal her daughter because she was possessed by a wicked demon, but Jesus answered nothing at first. After that, she treated her as a stranger and then a dog, but she did not give up and kept praying. The Lord not only healed her daughter but also praised her faith (Matthew 15:21-28, Mark). 7:25-30) Also, look at the parable of listening to a friend's plea in the middle of the night (Luke 11:5-13). When we pray to God, we pray once or twice, and we do not give up or become discouraged when the Lord does not answer us. However, if it is a prayer that is in accordance with the will of the Lord, you must persevere, pray, and wait. (Colossians 4:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Ephesians 6:18)
Second, we must always strive to spread the gospel and do not stop preaching (Mark 16:15, Acts 5:42).
Modern people listen to the voices of money, power, and knowledge aloud, but they refuse to listen to the voice of conscience, the voice of truth, and the voice of truth. However, we must not become discouraged and strive to spread the gospel constantly.
“Preach the word; be persistent, out of season and out of season; rebuke, rebuke, exhort, with all patience and teaching, in all things” (2 Timothy 4:2).
Third, put your hope in the Lord (Psalm 78:7, Psalm 146:5), and do not become discouraged while doing good (2 Thessalonians 3:13, Gal 6:9, Hebrews 12:3).
In a Western fable, two frogs jumped and fell into a milk carton. Here the two frogs reacted differently. One of them gave up and died shortly after deciding that everything was over in the slippery walls and milk. But the other one decided that he couldn't just die, so he churned the milk all night without stopping. As a result, the liquid milk gradually turned into solid butter, and the frog stepped on the butter and jumped out of the carafe.
“For by hope we have been saved, and hope that is seen is not hope. Who will hope for what we see? If we hope for what we do not see, let us wait with patience” (Romans 8:24-25).
Fourth, we must not become discouraged during hardships and trials (James 1:2-4, 12, Romans 5:3-4).
According to the Talmud, the Jewish Book of Wisdom, when God created the human eye, he made it with the black part in the middle and the white part on the outside. However, when we look at an object, we do not see through the white, but through the black eye in the middle, that is, through the pupil. Why did God make us see and discern things through the black masturbation? The Talmud explains it this way: "No matter how dark your life may be, even if your reality is as dark as the pupil of the eye, don't be discouraged. Don't despair. On the contrary, you can see a bright future through the darkness."
After a dark night, a bright morning is sure to come. We never need to be discouraged or give up looking only at the darkness of reality.
“Why are you discouraged, my soul, and why are you troubled within me? Look to God, and I will rather praise you for the help of His countenance” (Psalm 42:5).
Before Napoleon crossed the Alps to attack Italy, he sent scouts to detect the situation. The skirmisher returned and reported. ‘You can climb mountains. But… .' Napoleon knew what the skirmisher was trying to say. What the skirmisher was trying to say was that it would be too hard for me to give up. Napoleon stopped him and said, "Stop talking." And over the Alps. As they crossed the rugged Alps, they encouraged and led the dying soldiers to conquer Italy, which had been neglected. Napoleon always took the most dangerous position himself, encouraging weak and passive soldiers and staff to achieve victory. This is the strength of Napoleon being evaluated as a leader.
God does not leave our saints alone when they are weak. He guides and builds us up. Even when we are not able to pray and are discouraged and disappointed, the Holy Spirit within us intercedes for us with groanings that cannot be uttered (Romans 8:26). God does not give tribulation to destroy his children, but allows tribulation to further refine them so that their faith may grow.
Therefore, holding on to the verse of the text, “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest”, we pray that we will never lose heart or give up, stand up again and live a victorious life today and tomorrow.
* Prayer: Heavenly Father, abundant in love and mercy! Grant us patience and persevering faith so that we never lose heart or give up. Raise me when I am weak in tribulation and weary. Give me the courage to wait for your time to come. So, let me enjoy the joy and happiness of harvesting beautiful fruits when the time is right. We pray in the name of our Savior Jesus. Amen
* Meditation: Prepare with the belief that the time you plan will come.