Many winners have reached their success by climbing a special ladder called “Never Give Up”. However, there are also many who have lost the opportunity to achieve success because they gave up too soon. This can happen in every area of life: family, education, friends, church, business, etc. Perseverance and relying on God’s word is the key to victory. Apostle Paul persevered despite persecution and affliction (2 Timothy 3: 10 – 11). He viewed life with realism, but most especially with the eyes of the spirit. As followers of Christ we will suffer persecution and affliction, this is no longer news. We need to arm ourselves like warriors with the same purpose Christ had, being willing to suffer for doing what is right and pleasing God because when we suffer in the flesh we are done with sin (wilfully sinning). Whenever troubles of any kind come our way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. I know some of you will be like…… “talk is cheap”. I’ve learned to trust God and I’m being reminded when my faith is tested, I have a chance to grow and be more mature spiritually. I must confess that during the trial it’s not always easy. What we need to do during these periods is to ask God for the grace to go through it and as well look into the Word of God that is like a mirror that will show us a way out as we keep trusting and relying on God.
The Word of God will definitely give you the assurance and also the insurance to know that God is there with us even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of pain, we shall continue to allow our patience to grow. And when it grows, our spiritual muscles develop and this enables us to have more understanding of spiritual matters and how to relate with people at any given point no matter how difficult they may be. In any situation you come up against, ask the Holy Spirit what to do even if you know what to do (this comes from a relationship with God). No matter how right the facts of your solution may be, trusting and obeying God is far more because He knows the end from the beginning and the beginning to the end. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours. Even Satan had to admit that God blesses us and can give us maximum protection……. “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land” (Job 1: 9 -10). I must tell you that God is not a magician and does not condone laziness as many would be thinking in their heads that’s why some of His promises of blessings are not forthcoming. Beloved, even when delays of your blessings happen either by Satan or by natural disaster or whatever, if God chooses not to allow it to happen it won’t but sometimes God allows things to happen so that our faith might be strengthened the more so we can know our true friends, see for ourselves how weak and the need for us to depend on Him.
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success (Joshua 1:8)