Never Give Up
Dating all the way back to elementary school, I have loved sports and competition. The mind set has always been “We can win this!”, regardless of who the opponent was. The score may have been lopsided, but my motto was “Never Give Up!” My brain always told me that there was some key or action that would counteract anything the other team could do. The issue was figuring out what that key was and working together to win. To win may mean doing something completely out of character, position, tradition, orthodoxy, etc. To accomplish this meant communication, trust, resilience, and despite the belief that a win could be had, humility.
We have not seen the final victory of God over this world. God has communicated that it will happen. “Death is swallowed up in victory”. He has throughout the Old Testament demonstrated His power to deliver and conquer despite seemingly overwhelming odds from a human point of view. God provides a clear path in scripture of how to overcome the world and by the hands of angels, judges, prophets, Jesus, and apostles communicated this frequently.
God never fails those whose ears and heart are open to His direction. A statement like this implies that the recipient of communication trusts the giver of the message and engages in the course of action provided. Someone who simply says, “I believe” or “I have faith” or “I trust” and does nothing, really did not have trust. This is the sentiment provided in the second chapter of the book of James. Do you trust God? Then engage in His plan for victory.
There are times in scripture, where God has tested the faithful. They did not see victory instantly. They lost battles. They were scattered. They failed momentarily. They were allowed to engage in the foolishness of sin. Yet, in resilience, Israel finally marched away from Egypt, the walls of Jericho came tumbling down, and the people of AI fell to Israel. Of the men of Judah in the days of Nehemiah as they tried to rebuild the city wall it was said, “The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall.” Yet, they continued and finished the wall despite harm threatening from all sides. David in his foolishness, committed adultery and was guilty of the murder of Bathsheba’s husband Uriah. Upon the confrontation of his sin through Nathan, David could have given up. Yet, David was resilient in repentance. He did not give up. He acknowledged his failure, and continued His walk with God.
Communication, trust, resilience, all of these are fine attributes to have within a team and a relationship with God. However, these falter if not joined with humility. The Pharisees had put themselves in the seat of Moses. They saw themselves as guides to the blind. The shared the communication of God with the people. There was an appearance of trust in the many works that they observed and commanded. Truly, there was resilience in holding to the commandments of the Old Law even when the teachings and signs of Jesus and the apostles confronted them. A blameless Pharisee zealous for the Law of God named Saul persecuted the Christians vigorously. Did He know the communication of God? Yes. Did he trust God? Yes. Was he a resilient man? Yes! Yet, until Saul humbled himself before God, there was nothing he could have done to see the victory over this world. It is the poor in spirit to whom belongs the kingdom of God.
There is a similarity in the book of Esther to scriptures in Revelation. The Jews of Esther’s time were subject to an edict initiated by Haman an official of the king of the Persian Empire. The Persians controlled most of the known world and the edict called for the elimination of all the Jews in the kingdom. Why not give up and renounce God? It appeared the end of the people of God was at hand. Similarly, in Revelation 20, Satan and the nations of the world emerge immanently positioned to destroy the Church of God. In Esther, the Jews are given victory by the hand of God. The same occurs in Revelation 20 despite what appeared to be overwhelming forces. The world menaces wickedly as a Goliath in comparison to the small shepherd boy of the faithful, yet, for those that hear the Word of God, trust in it, endure in their obedient faith, and submit themselves to the Almighty God, the band of believers which compose the Church will be victorious.