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bigmike

Don’t Give Up!
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1
He rowed across the Pacific Ocean: 8,990 miles, all alone, but fell short of his goal by 33 miles. Peter Bird attempted to become the first man to single-handedly row from San Francisco in the United States across the Pacific. He almost succeeded, but approaching the east coast of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Bird encountered stormy weather and choppy seas. He was looking for a passage through the coral. Actually, he was within one nautical mile of the reef when he had to radio for help fearing that he couldn’t make it.
The Royal Australian Navy rescued the photographer turned sailor, and as they towed his 33-foot-long craft, it broke up in the heavy surf. Though most of us would never dare to attempt what Peter Bird did, you have to have a profound admiration for one who would pit his life against such great odds. To succeed in crossing almost 9,000 miles of ocean, and yet to fall short of the goal by a mere 33 miles—50 kilometers, is so sad. So close to the finish and then to have to give up.
In the first chapter of the book of Judges in the Bible, the chronicler of old tells of another situation in which men almost succeeded but failed at the last. God had promised the land of Israel to Joshua and to the children of Israel. He had told them to go up and to conquer the land, that He would go with them, that He would give them a complete victory. But this is what happened according to the writer: “The Lord was with the men of Judah. They took possession of the hill country, but they were unable to drive out the people from the plains … “; and “Manasseh [one of the tribes or groups of people] did not drive out the people of Beth Shan … “; and “When Israel became strong, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor but never drove them out completely.” You know, it’s one thing to have your craft broken up on the Great Barrier Reef and quite another thing to just give up when victory is really within your grasp.
Many years after the children of Israel went into the promised land, some New Testament believers were considering giving up. The pressure was just too great. The antagonism was too sharp; thus, the writer of the book of Hebrews encouraged struggling believers to get their eyes on the Lord—not the circumstances; not on the Great Barrier Reefs of life—but to look to Jesus as the author and the finisher and the One who completes our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
In the tenth chapter, five times the writer of Hebrews uses the phrase, “Let us ….” He says, “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart”; “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess”; “Let us consider how to spur one another on toward love and good deeds”; and “Let us not give up meeting together, but let us encourage one another.” Notice those two phrases which stand as sentinels against the tide: “Let us not give up … , let us encourage one another.”
Friend, you may have come a long, long way in your Christian walk, but now you’re discouraged and you feel like giving up and quitting. Hang in there. There is help coming. Peter Bird did make it to Australia, but he had to have the assistance of the Australian Navy, and to reach your destination on Heaven’s shore may require that you let someone give you a helping hand. It’s all part of refusing to be destroyed on the Great Barrier Reefs of life. Think about it. As Scripture says, “Let us not give up … , let us encourage one another.” And when you encourage others, you will find you yourself will be encouraged as well.
Resource reading: Hebrews 12:1-28

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