Never Gives Up

I have given up at least 28 times in the last four days. I tell myself that I can't stand it anymore. I don't want to live this way. It isn't my fault. I don't want to keep paying. This isn't fair. I can't bear this pain. I want it to stop. I can't do it. I don't want to. I won't.

But then, when I stop talking long enough to hear, the words are there,


Love:

is patient
is kind
is not jealous
is not boastful
is not proud
is not rude
does not demand its own way
is not irritable
does not keep record of being wronged
does not rejoice about injustice
rejoices whenever truth wins out
never gives up
never loses faith
is always hopeful
endures through every circumstance

I Corinthians 13:4-7

True love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance. 

Even though these words say things that I already know in my head, my heart needs to hear them again and again. 

Yes, I'm tired. I can't do this. I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

But He can. 

He will help me be patient. 
He will help me to not keep a record of wrongs.
He will help me to be hopeful.
He will help me endure all things.
He will give me hope.
He will help me not give up.


Lysa Terkeurst just shared this prayer on her Facebook page for others who might need to pray this for a friend in their lives. 

Dear Lord, please bless her with Your peace. Give her strength to hand over the worries, cares, and loneliness. Take the pain and squelch the doubt. Remind her You are her God: the Great I AM. Nothing is impossible with You. And You do turn all things for good. Be with her tonight and grant her sweet, safe, sound sleep. Thank You for Your presence. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

In 26 minutes it got 493 likes, 51 comments and 220 shares. Apparently, there are a lot of women who might want to give up tonight. Thank you, Jesus, for never giving up on us. Help us to hang in there holding onto Your promises. 

Reminding myself that God is good all the time and that all the time, God is good.

The Good Part

I have been reading Ephesians to get ready for a season of study there. I get excited about all the verses now-a-days and often find it difficult not to post entire chapters at a time, as you have noticed. But this afternoon this verse wowed me:

Ephesians 1:7-10

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace ⁸ that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. ⁹ And he^[a] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, ¹⁰ to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

Sometimes (well, a lot), I need to go to some other versions and look at all of them so that it helps me understand what I just read. I know that there are some arguments about which translation is best. I probably only use 5. I don't know which is the one that you use or how you feel about them, but I am so glad that there are some simpler versions to help this simple girl hear what God is saying through the Holy Spirit. 

I read this version before going back to the first:

Ephesians 1:7-10

The Message (MSG)

^7-10 Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.

I don't know about you but that is worth shoutin' about! I love the part, "And not just barely free, either. ABUNDANTLY free"! 

"...everything would be brought together and summed up in HIM..." 

Thank you, Jesus!!

I love that I can go to biblegateway.com and get the Bible versions in parallel. 

Anyway, the whole chapter is a humdinger. Give it a gander.

Isn't it really neat to read a book (the Bible) and know that all of it is the "good part"? 

-----Falling deeper in love with God's word everyday------

Anna Becoming