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Never Grow Weary and Lose Heart
Never Grow Weary and Lose Heart
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 (Romans 8:28)
Long ago in an effort to comfort Job, one of his friends, Eliphaz, said, “Humans are born for trouble, as sure as sparks fly upward.” The thought being that it is certain that we are born and it is just as certain that in this life we will encounter misfortune and afflictions that will trouble us greatly. Our lives are filled with ups and downs. The ups of life we have no problem with but the downs are a different story. Things are going to happen to us that will disrupt our lives, make the day long and difficult and some nights it will seem as if sleep will never come. I am convinced that it is in those times that we learn what kind of faith we have in God. Is it great. strong or weak and little (Matthew 15:28; Romans 4:20; Romans 14:1; Matthew 14:31)?
Does God really have the power to control all the incidents of our lives in a way that we will benefit from them? I believe He does. How does He do it? I don’t know. Sometimes His ways are past our understanding. I hear Paul as he tells me, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! It is my firm conviction that our God in His own time and in His own ways is able to take any situation that besets us on our earthly journey and mold it into something that will enable us to victoriously overcome whatever it is that overwhelms our heart.
To me, far greater is knowing that so long as we trust God at all times, times when the bright side of life is shining on us as well as when the dark side envelopes us, His faithful love surrounds us with blessings untold and we will go forward rejoicing and praising God (Phil. 3:12-14). When we yield ourselves completely to the will of God as we journey through this life, all things will fit into a pattern for our good and one day enable us to receive the crown of righteousness from the Lord (2 Tim.4:6-8).
Take note that this great promise of Romans 8:28 is made only to those who love God. But who is it who loves the Lord our God? Well, it is Jesus who answers that question for us, “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15); “He who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father; and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him” (John 14:21; “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him” (John 14:23). Listen as John tells us, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments” (1 John 5:3).
This great, comforting promise is made only to those who love the Lord God and show that love through their obedience to Him. It is not made to those who dare to follow the doctrines and opinions of man. Loving God, we can face today, tomorrow and future days with confidence as the words of the inspired Paul echo in our heart, “But in all these things we overwhelming conqueror through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37, John 14:27, John 16:33, Hebrews 12:3).
Charles Hicks, Gallatin Tennessee
