Don’t Give Up - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Don’t Give Up

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:12-13, NKJV)

Cross country runners face it, approaching, at last, the long, steep hill climb to complete the race. Boxers in the 7^th round feel it when exhaustion burns in their tightening arm muscles. Wrestlers going into the third period of a fierce competition, against a ruthless opponent, know it, and must call up the strength within them to get to the final bell and not get pinned, but get the win.

They can’t quit. They must not give up, even moments before when that prized victory shout is about to happen, while slightly, even so slightly, they consider that it might not come.

A young mother, carrying the ever growing new life within, holds on to make it to the end of the nine long months, hoping, but yet a bit uncertain, if all will come out right, with their child having the ten fingers and the ten toes that will be just perfect.

Even the pastor of 12 years, having given as much as he thought he had to give out, must not stop and give up, nor give in. He must still call upon the name of the Lord, the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and the Omega. He must keep looking to the One who started him on this journey, and not let discouragement and lack of results end the still young man’s initial dream.

We all will face the temptation to call it quits, to end what was started, having begun with so many large expectations, only to look back and think it will never, ever happen. Those big plans and deep desires, instilled years before, seem to be fading away, with the sun setting once again, ending the day the way it began.

Through it all, we must not quit. We must not let the daily grind wear us down, wring us out, or leave us laying on the side of the road. Despair, hopelessness, exhaustion, nor failed dreams must not keep us from that which our Lord Jesus has called us to. With the power of the Holy Spirit working within us, we can fight the good fight, rise to the call on our lives, and finish that which He has started.

How? With His ever-present grace, His unending mercy, and through His love which is continually poured out on us His beloved. That is how we can do it. That is who we are because that is Who He made us to be.

Whether you are 18, going on 37, or have reached the “60 and older” plateau of life, we can, we must, we will be continually assured that the One who saved us, redeemed us, called us into His life to share with us, will keep us and deliver us to the glory that awaits us at the end.

We cannot do it on our own, but He can and will do that which He has planned and purposed for us. His sure promises of fulfilling those deep desires, the heavenly hopes, the daily dreams that He Himself put within us at the beginning of time, will come to pass. Of this, I am certain, for He truly is the Faithful God we serve.

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.” (Revelations 19:11-12, NASU)

Our Lord is not sitting upon His throne, just watching to see if we are going to make it. He is actively involved, certain of the beginning and the end, and will ride in victory once His eternal plan is completed. And through it all, He is protecting, directing, establishing and fulfilling His will in each of our lives, bringing encouragement and certainty as we keep our eyes fixed on Him.

This we can be assured of. For the Bible tells us so.

Don’t give up. Don’t quit before the light of day comes forth. Keep pressing on and grab hold of the beautiful plan He has for our lives. It may be tough at times, but the end is going to be worth it all.

Shalom and ahava (peace and love in Hebrew).

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Founder/President

Love For His People, Inc.

If these messages have ministered to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $10-$50 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless families in Israel whom we consistently help monthly through our humanitarian work. Your tax-deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.

  

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Now Think On This #358 - in the year of our Lord 10.25.18 – “Don’t Give Up”, Thursday, 5:05 am 

Only the Beginning - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Only the Beginning

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

“The end of something is better than its beginning, so the patient are better than the proud.” (Ecclesiastes 7:8, Complete Jewish Bible)

There are times the Lord will give me a word that I “hear” in my head, and I know He has something for me to share in writing. At other times I will ask Him for a word, and then He tells me. This time He gave me the words, “Only the beginning.”

Now I know that that is in the lyrics of the song Beginnings, sung by the band Chicago in the 1970’s. But I don’t think it has anything to do with that. I believe there is something else the Lord wants to speak at this time.

My sense is that there are some of us, myself included at times, who may think our “assignment”, whether it be on a job, in a particular situation we have been in for a period, or even near the completion of this life, is done. We get the feeling that it is over, the season has passed, and now it is time to move on. For some it may be we are wanting it over, out of discouragement or disappointment. We may really hope it is.

That may be true. That aspect of your life, or mine, may be done. But it does not mean that our long term purpose and plan of the Lord is over. It may be it is only the beginning of something new; the next challenge we are to face and be as a conqueror in and through it. We may be close to finishing the one assignment. We have gone through it in preparation for the next.

When I meditate on the ways of the Lord, and read of His actions in the many lives of the biblical characters, I find peace and hope that He fully knows the beginning and the end for each of us. As we put our trust in Him, we can be certain that what may have been seen as bad will prove in the end to be good.

The Word does say clearly, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” (Romans 8:28-30, NASU)

When I consider the works of His hands, such as how a mountain stream begins as a small trickle and gathers momentum as it works its way down the slope, I am confident of this. Those things which may seem unimportant at first, due to lack of size or notice, will one day be the full, finished product the Maker had in mind all along.

Look at how many times a large corporation “started off in the garage” of its founder.

Whether you are hoping to finish something now in your life, and glad it is almost over, or just beginning something new, be reassured that the Lord has promised to be with you every step along the way. In good and in bad, in sickness and in health, our Bridegroom will remain steadfast to see us through. He has promised to be there, from the beginning to the end.

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Founder

Love For His People, Inc.

P.S. I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. They might need it. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

We are blessed when the ministry receives gifts to support the families that we do, primarily in Israel, Hungary, India, Pakistan and the hurting ones here in the USA. You also can share out of the abundance you have been given.

Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA humanitarian organization started in 2010 to share the love of the Father in the nations.

If these messages minister to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $5-$25 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless families we know in Israel, whom we consistently help through our humanitarian ministry. Your tax deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.

Click here for safe ONLINE GIFT GIVING THROUGH OUR WEBSITE using major credit cards: Love For His People. If you don't have a PayPal account you can also use your credit card or bank account (where available). 

Contribution checks can be sent to: 

Love For His People, Inc.  P.O. Box414   Pineville, NC 28134

Todah rabah! (Hebrew – Thank you very much.)

Please share Now Think On This with your friends.

Email: loveforhispeople@gmail.com  

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Now Think On This - In the Year of our Lord 04.22.17 - #280 – “Only the Beginning” – Saturday, 1:40 pm

All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This

Again, I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve