Because God has a purpose for you! I know that some days on your Christian journey you get tired and it seems like the more good you try to do, the more the enemy attacks you, right? You know how you’ve managed to balance your checkbook just right and it looks like you may have a few dollars left until the next payday, then something you forgot about goes through and now your checking account is in the negative. Well, that’s just the enemy trying to make you give up on the faith that God said for you to have. Yea, it’s the enemy’s job to knock you off your path because when you’re down, you are more vulnerable to his attack but its God’s job to pick you up, dust you off and start you back on your way. That’s why John 10:10 says, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” I’ve told you, before, that the problems of this world would come but that’s because they’ve been promised to you. However, God left his word for you as a guide to handle and defeat the attacks that are meant to take you out. How do you get what you need to fight this life’s battles? By reading and studying God’s word. Joshua 1:8 says, “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” See, when you study God’s word you find out that when trouble comes it’s not that God has forsaken you but it’s to make you stronger, when folks walk away from you it’s because their season was over in your life, when death comes it’s because it’s a part of living, when hurt happens you will know that it won’t last always and when you fall you’ll know that you can get back up. But you have to study! 2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
Then after you study God’s word, put it to work in your life. Even in the midst of your bad days, struggles, sins, of wanting to throw in the towel, wanting to back slide into the world or be anyone other than who God wants you to be, he’s still here. God says in Genesis 28:15, “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Every day, he gives me a word to share with his people even when I don’t feel worthy of it but I keep going because he doesn’t have to do it. He anoints my head with wisdom even when I’m too stubborn to say thank you. He gives me never-ending strength to handle the devil when he knocks on my door. He allows me to sin and then repent and he still forgives me. And because he does these things for me, who I am to give up just because the race gets longer and harder? God puts strength in our bodies that allows us to push on even though we know we should have passed out long ago. God gives us a fresh anointing every day that allows us to keep standing even though your legs should have given out hours ago. He gives us new mercies every morning that allows us to see the path we are walking even if we never say thank you. Why should you keep running for God because God keeps running for you! How would you be if God gave up so easily on you the way you give up on him when times get hard? Will you still have the job you have, the car you drive, the house you live in, the healing from that disease, the feeling back in your hands, the strength in your legs or the power in your tongue? Yea, the enemy makes living in the world looks great but even a pit bull can be sweet until he decides not to be. Don’t be fooled by folks who think all they have is because of their own doing because the devil blesses too but unlike God, his blessings come with a price. Yea, your husband spoils you with the finest gifts but he also knocks you around for fun every night. Yea, you wear nice clothes but you steal them all and manage to not get caught. No, it wasn’t God that allowed the security guards to walk passed you because God won’t cover your mess, but the devil does because it makes the payback harder for you.
I know you had it “going on” when you were in the world and now it seems like you can never make ends meet since you became a Christian, but keep running. I know that you had more friends than time to spend with them before you chose God’s side but keep running. I know that you never wanted for anything and you never had to worry about what folks said before you came to work for God but keep running. 2 Corinthians 4:17 says, “For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” Don’t give up now just because it seems you’ve had more sick days than well ones, keep running because James 5:15 says, “And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” Don’t throw in the towel now because you keep getting passed in the race, keep running because 1 Corinthians 9:24 says, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.” Don’t stay down because the count is almost to 10, get back up and keep running because Proverbs 24:16 says, “For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.” Just because the way looks dark, keep running because Jesus said in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
So see, your running will pay off but you can’t stop. I know that it’s easy for a person with money to tell you to pray about your situation when you’re struggling but they didn’t always have it good. Don’t get angry at the doctor for telling you it’ll be alright after diagnosing you with cancer because you don’t know what he’s been through. Don’t hold a grudge against your coworker who always seems to never be without even though you guys seem to be living a similar life, you don’t know the battles she had to fight to be blessed the way she is. Stop wishing for other folks blessings because you don’t know the hell they had to endure to get them. Keep running, stay your course and keep your faith and let God handle it all. Stop wishing for the blessings I’ve received because you didn’t go through the same storm I did to get them. You are wishing for my marriage but you didn’t see the heartache I had to endure to get my spouse. You are wishing for my job but you didn’t see the doors being slammed in my face before I got it. You are wishing for my car but you didn’t see the numerous rejections I received before I received it. You’re wishing for my smile but didn’t see the many nights I cried myself to sleep to get it. You see my life but you didn’t see the battles I had to fight to live it. Be careful what you ask for because your legs may not be as strong as mine to walk the path I did, your shoulders may not carry the weight mine did, your arms might not be strong enough to climb the mountains I had to get over, your feet may not be strong enough to stand in the foot holes made by my enemies and your back probably won’t take as many knives as mine has! God isn’t short on blessings, but you have to have faith that what you’re asking him for he’ll give and then you have to be ready to work for them. You can’t stop running simply because there is an obstacle in your way. You have to jump over it, go through it or around it in order to keep on. Your race won’t always be easy but don’t give up now, keep running because at the finish line you’ll receive the reward that is meant for you.
Lakisha, the Author 