Aren’t we tempted to quit when things get hard or uncomfortable? I wonder how many times in our lives we would have realized our dream, the desire of our hearts, or the call on our lives if we had pushed through just a little longer.
I think about the way many of the heroes of our faith persevered despite difficult or long-lasting circumstances. Consider how their stories would have changed if they had quit too soon. What if Moses had stopped pleading with Pharaoh after nine plagues rather than ten? The Israelites would have remained in slavery in Egypt. What if Joshua and the Israelites had stopped walking around the wall of Jericho after six times rather than seven? They would have never seen the walls fall and entered into the promised land. What if Noah had only built half of an ark? That would not have floated very well, would it? Nor would his family and all of those animals have lived through the flood. And, what about you? What if you are on the brink of a breakthrough and stop too soon?
Lori Ann Wood is on the show today chatting about how a little perseverance goes a long way. She’s sharing about her life detour that reordered her priorities and rattled her faith. Her experience inspired her book Divine Detour and she’s encouraging us to believe that the path you’d never choose can lead to the faith you’ve always wanted.
I don’t know how long you have been circling the same problem or what difficult situation you are facing today, but if you are tempted to give up, I hope you will reconsider. Let’s not miss out on what God has for us by giving up too soon.
Quotes:
“They didn’t think I’d leave the hospital.”
“I was alive but I wasn’t getting any better.”
“The real story wasn’t about healing in my physical body, but the strengthening of my faith.”
“While my health has been declining, my faith is increasing.”
“There are three questions every life has to answer. Is this life all there is? Is God always good? Is God’s plan enough?”
“Questions are what kept me tethered to God in those tough times.”
“I was waking up every day with God top of mind.”
“I didn’t think God was being consistent. I was equating God’s goodness with how well my life was going according to my plan.”
“We hold God to standards we create ourselves and hold Him to promises He never made.”
“We read things into Scripture that aren’t there.”
“I felt like God was giving me the silent treatment.”
“It’s ok to borrow words.”
“Acknowledge the suffering and see it for what it is and what it can produce.”
“There is no Christianity without the cross. We can’t have a deep relationship with God unless we have a cross.”
“You’re trading what you can’t keep for something you will never lose.”
“True hope can only be in that which lasts forever.”
“Persevere through the questions of your faith.”
“God will go to any length to keep the conversation going with you to have a relationship with you.”
“Keep the conversation going with God.”
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