Author	Thread: If you feel like giving up...
Admin	If you feel like giving up... Posted : 15 Mar, 2020 01:04 AM Don't lose hope! Don't give up. The Bible says that the Apostle Paul had a thorn in the flesh. He doesn't say what it was, but one thing we do know is that he asked the Lord to take it away, and He didn't. Why? I think, it's because it was just a thorn! Had it been a knife stuck in his leg, he would have prayed until it got removed. When a problem is small and the pain is manageable, we learn to cope with it. We learn to accept it. And when we can live with a problem, we don't pray as hard. And the problem stays. Some people write doctrine around it to justify it saying, "It's the Lord's will. I deserve this thorn. Thorns are actually a good thing, because they teach humility. They help me stay obedient. Don't pray for God to take away my thorn. I love my thorn! Thorns are good and beautiful. God gives thorns to His children. I am thankful for my thorn!" If that's how you treat your thorn, you will never get rid of it. The Bible says when Hezekiah became sick, the prophet Isaiah said, "Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order for you shall die." But Hezekiah prayed, and God heard him. So, Isaiah went back and said, "Thus says the Lord: I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. Surely, I will heal you." Even when God says "it's over," it doesn't mean "IT'S OVER." You can get a second chance. In Luke 11:10 and Luke 18:5 and Mark 11:23, Jesus teaches us that if we want something, we can get it. We can reverse the outcome. We can reverse the curse, the sickness, or anything. We can get rid of the thorn, but we have to treat it like it's a bad thing. We have to treat it like a knife. We have to pray with persistence and with faith. James 5:16: "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." Post Reply
View Profile History	If you feel like giving up... Posted : 16 Mar, 2020 01:21 PM Amen Post Reply
View Profile History	If you feel like giving up... Posted : 21 Mar, 2020 08:29 AM I would like to mention that there is also another aspect of this. When the disciples were fishing all night, they caught nothing and went back to the shore totally exhausted and tired. There they met Jesus who told them to go back and throw the net on the other side. So, they did, and they caught lots of fish! This story tells us that the disciples indeed have given up. They were exhausted. If the disciples had not given up, if they decided to stay on the lake and fish until they drop dead of sleeplessness, then they would have died without fish. So, sometimes it's a good idea to "give up trying," but it's usually when we're not led by God. When we are led by God, we should not give up. But we're doing our own thing, it doesn't hurt to give up every once in awhile and see if Jesus has some advice for us. lol Post Reply
View Profile History	If you feel like giving up... Posted : 21 Mar, 2020 10:55 AM Wisdom indeed....When we come to our wits end....done everything we can think of, prayed all manner of prayers and supplications....The Word in Ephesians 6 says....after having done everything to stand. Thank you for the word. Post Reply
View Profile History	If you feel like giving up... Posted : 21 Mar, 2020 01:18 PM With covid 19 almost everything went on a standstill. If before we dont have time to pause and listen to God now we have lots of time. We are able to receive God's words and supplication when we stop what we're doing and be open and ready to receive; not when we're busy and preoccupied with our own business. Post Reply
View Profile History	If you feel like giving up... Posted : 21 Mar, 2020 07:02 PM Yes, now is a good time to reflect and pray and just listen to God... Post Reply
Alligator View Profile History	If you feel like giving up... Posted : 27 Mar, 2020 01:52 PM I feel like many people are in a deep state of panic. certain that they are going to die. Lose their business, etc. They are forgetting to ask God for forgiveness and to show them a new way to think. There are many things that we can learn from Bible stories and scriptures that can build us up. Post Reply