Today we have a spelling lesson. How do you spell defeat? It’s spelled q-u-i-t. How do you spell quit? It’s spelled n-e-v-e-r!
Things come up in life and it looks like you’ll be defeated. The hard things make you want to quit but don’t! It could be a relationship, an illness, financial problems, a continued process of setbacks but don’t quit!!! Fight the battle – victory will come.
The Apostle Paul wrote in II Corinthians “But thanks be to God who ALWAYS causes us to triumph in Christ Jesus”! ALWAYS!!!!!
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in victory through Christ. God uses us to spread his knowledge everywhere like a sweet-smelling perfume.” II Corinthians 2:14 ERV
I’m reminded of the story of the Israelites after they had been delivered from Pharaoh and Egypt. They had seen God do mighty things for them and now they were standing on the edge of the Promised Land. The Lord had told them they would go in and possess the land so they sent in spies to see what the land was like.
Do you remember the story? Twelve spies went in; they brought back clusters of grapes so big that two men had to carry them on a pole. It truly was a land flowing with milk and honey as God had said it was (He doesn’t lie you know). The land was lush and beautiful. A land to be desired but…the spies reported there were giants in the land.
Don’t you think God knew the giants were there when He said He would give them the land? Were the giants really any bigger an obstacle than the Pharaoh’s army or the Red Sea? If God had provided victory for them in the past, why would they doubt His ability now? The account goes on that the spies said they were as grasshoppers in the eyes of the giant and “we were but grasshoppers in our own eyes”. They took their eyes off of their God and looked at their own ability. They quit! They were defeated!
Joshua and Caleb, two of the spies tried to get their eyes back on the bigness of God but the Israelites were ready to stone them. Look at this!
“ It is a land filled with many good things. If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land. And he will give that land to us. 9 So don’t turn against the LORD! Don’t be afraid of the people in that land. We can defeat them. They have no protection, nothing to keep them safe. But we have the LORD with us, so don’t be afraid!” 10 All the people began talking about killing Joshua and Caleb with stones. But the Glory of the LORD appeared over the Meeting Tent where all the people could see it.” Numbers 14:8-10 ERV
Have you ever had somebody get mad at you because you wanted to trust God? It doesn’t seem rational or logical or make any kind of sense at all but that’s why it’s called faith! Trusting God isn’t “a way” to get things done, it’s “the way”. Jesus didn’t say I am “a way”, “a truth” and “a life” – NO! He said I am THE way, THE truth and THE life. You must be focused on what’s above – the greatness of our God or you’ll be like the Israelites and quit before you really get started. Joshua and Caleb were the only ones over the age of 40 that entered into the Promised Land. The rest of those who left Egypt and doubted God’s ability to give them victory in the Promised Land died in the desert.
I’m telling you this morning. I don’t know what your situation is or what battles you have been fighting but don’t quit! You’re not in this alone – God is there to fight the battle with and for you! Don’t quit – don’t give up – don’t accept defeat and you will ALWAYS TRIUMPH!
So I’ll say it again – don’t quit! As David said to Goliath “And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.” I Samuel 17:47
