Thinking about giving up...Read the Bible, Romans 15:4

⁴ For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. Romans 15:4

If you are thinking about giving up….Read.  Paul is not talking about all writing, but the writings that we call the Old Testament in the Bible.  The Scriptures can encourage us through identification with problems that people face. If God can help them, then maybe He can help me.  Here is the kicker…but you gotta read it!  The Bible is the best prescription to navigate through all of life’s ups and downs.  Yet, so few of Americans take time to read it.  Anytime that you begin to read, invite the Holy Spirit to reveal to you words of life.  Even Jesus said that man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.  Jesus understood the importance of the Scripture to fight off the enemy.

One unique aspect about the people in the Bible is the transparency of their flaws. Many times there is little commentary for the reason of their wrong choice, while other times we see God warning them.  Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  Cain was warned that sin was crouching at the door of his life to have mastery over him.  He succumbed and killed his brother.  King David has an almost blameless life, but when kings went to war, he stayed behind and committed adultery and arranged betrayal in warfare that left her husband dead.  We have inherited Psalms 51 as King David’s dialogue with God about receiving forgiveness after having committed such horrible sins.

If your life was put under a microscope for all of the world to see, what would they find?  If just the thoughts from the past week were put on a screen, what would people see?  If you had acted on those thoughts, what would have happened?  Was there a point in which you saw or heard God intervene?

The scriptures give us hope, because anyone can receive grace and move forward.  They teach us that there is a reward for endurance.  Not an immediate reward, but a seed is planted that bears good fruit in our lives.  It is worth it every time to endure.  They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall walk and not be weary, they shall run and not faint.  They will mount up with wings like eagles.  Is 40:31. 

Oh, be encouraged today.  Begin reading the scriptures.  Ask God to feed your spirit through His word.  Persevere beyond the temptation to quit because you don’t find it relevant or hard to understand.  The enemy hates it when we feed on God’s word.  Ask God to help you fall in love with it.

Father, we admit that we don’t always endure.  Thank you for your grace to forgive.  Help us to draw the strength from your word that you provide.  Help us to find time and make time to read your word.  Help us to hear Jesus speaking to us through His word.  In Jesus Name, Amen.