“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season, we will reap, if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9
“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophesy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.” – Revelation 1:3
“To him who overcomes I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God” – Revelation 2:7
“He who overcomes will not be hurt at all from the second death.” – Revelation 2:11
“To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna.” – Revelation 2:17
“To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations…” – Revelation 2:26
“He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot his name out of the Book of Life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and His angels.” – Revelation 3:5
“Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God.” – Revelation 3:12
“To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne.” – Revelation 3:21
“And Jesus said to them, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.'” – Luke 9:23
Our story is a story that encourages us to keep on “going and going and going”, as the well-known battery commercial says. Everyone knows it is hard to keep any commitment over a period of time. We get tired and things lose their spark and we find ourselves wanting to quit. New year’s resolutions are a great example of how we struggle with keeping promises. Even in this 40-day Lenten journey you may have found yourself struggling with keeping disciplined in something you decided to do. It is easy to become discouraged. But, our story is a story of encouragement. It is a story that cheers us on no matter what we are going through or how many times we have failed. In our story, the “fallen” are not left behind…they are picked up…brushed off…and brought back into the flock. So let me encourage you today to keep on going.
In our Scriptures above, Paul, John, and Jesus remind us that our journey is a marathon, not a short dash. It is a daily decision and requires constant attention. It is not satisfied to end with the words “I almost made it”. It is a story of those who overcame the obstacles…who kept going despite the ridicule…who pushed through the resistance and finished the race. This is not a story of quitters who came up short by giving up early.
The Apostle Paul, near the end of his life said, “The time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:6, 7)
At this point let me share an important thought…our story is not so much about “winning” as it is about “finishing”. Our competitive attitudes can sometimes set us up for disappointment and discouragement. We must remember that in any story there are ups and downs. There are times in our story where we are victorious and we receive the “well done” from the Lord, but there are also times when we fail and we have to be rescued by our ever-loving…ever-watching Savior. He works with us…He walks with us…we walk together through the good and the bad.
As we come to the last Book of the Bible we are reminded that the message from the Scripture is not “Walk perfectly or you will be disqualified”…it is “Keep walking with Jesus and He will help you through anything!” You are not just a character in a story that doesn’t matter. The Author of our story does not direct from a distance. He walks with you and…He wants you to finish well.
Therefore, our story is a story of encouragement…a story that cheers us on…a story that will not let us quit. Believer, He has you in the palm of His hand. You may think that you cannot do this…that it is too hard…too long…too much, but it is not too much for Him. Your heavenly Father has got this!
So, today, trust Him! Hold fast to your faith! At the cross Jesus made it possible for you to “overcome” and keep going. Let the love of Jesus encourage you today!
Your story is not finished.