Don't. Give. Up!

 Every year the city that I live in hosts a Pumpkin Festival. It starts on a Wednesday and culminates with a 10K race and then a parade on Sunday. Both are quite popular. The race begins early in the morning, so the city starts closing off roads so that the runners will be safe without vehicle traffic around them. Our church is located right in the middle of the course, for both the run and parade. We decided to only have one service that Sunday morning to give people a chance to get out of dodge before the parade and road closings start. That service began @ 8:00AM.

As I head out down the road towards church, I discover that they already have the road closed. They had a detour sign up. You could go left (East) or right (West). I'm thinking that I only need to get across the main road to get to the back streets. So I decided to go left. I get to the next street, closed. Arghhh! So I continue on to the next. Same thing. For the next few streets, they were all closed. Next thing I know I am heading way out of town. I thought "I'm not going that far to go around." So I turn around and say to myself "not today Satan!" Not keeping me from church.

So I turn around and get back into the traffic that was steadily getting worse every second. I look at the clock on my dash, 7:55. Only five minutes to get through all this traffic and get to church. I was determined to make it, if even being late. I could have given up and just gone back home. The way home wasn't blocked. It was wide open. Everyone was heading into town, not out. It reminded me of the story in The Bible about the road to hell being wide open, and the path to Heaven being narrow. (Matthew7:13-14)

So I get to another road block and I encounter a couple of officers. They ask me where do I think that I am going? I told them that I am trying to get to the church that was literally a block away, and was going to park in the lot next to it. They let me through and I parked. I walked into church. Guess what time? Exactly 8:00. Wasn't late at all. It reminded me of another Bible story about God making time stand still. (Joshua 10: 12-14)

I thought a lot of things during this short but long trip to get to church. I could have just given up and gone home. That was not an option for me.

Hebrews 10:25 New Living Translation

25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, 

I thought about the paralyzed man whose friends lowered him down through the roof of a house to get him in front of Jesus. It was to crowded outside. They didn't give up. They came up with a plan to get their friend to Jesus. Guess what? He was healed. (Mark 2:3-11)

I thought about the woman with the issue of blood. If she could only fight her way through the crowd and just touch His garment, she would be healed. Crowd was thick around Jesus. It looked like there was no way she could get to Him. But she didn't give up. She kept pushing her way through till she reached Him. (Mark 5:24-34)

Then later that night, I went to see Don Beebe speak at a men's event. Bro night it was called. He talked about the infamous Super Bowl play where he chased down an opposing player and prevented him from scoring a touch down. He never gave up. That's what his message was to all the men in the room.

So I encourage you. Don't ever give up. No matter what you are facing, don't give up. It might look bleak and undoable, but God!

Matthew 19:26 New Living Translation

26 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”

God bless.

Rev. Kev.