| 2 Chronicles 15:7- “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded!” |
When life gets hard, sometimes we grow dejected and we feel like quitting. I imagine Peter must have felt that way. He made great boasts about his faithfulness to Christ. but within a few hours, he had broken that vow, not once but three times. It must have been hard. But Jesus, as much as Peter may have felt worthless, had a different idea. Instead, in an early morning, he sat with Peter around a charcoal fire. It must have been difficult to him. The last time his nostrils tasted the charcoal aroma it was that night, that terrible night when those words came out of his mouth. But Jesus had more for him to do. It was not the time to quit. He was humbled but accepted the self-chastening.
It reminds me of a poem called You Mustn’t Quit by Edgar Guest
You Mustn’t Quit
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill, When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit. Rest if you must but Don’t You Quit!
Life is strange with its twists and turns, As every one of us sometimes learns, And many a fellow turns about When he might have won had he stuck it out. Don’t give up through the pace seems slow You may succeed with another blow. Often the goal is nearer than It seems to a faint and faltering man. Often the struggler has given up, When he might have captured the victor’s cup. And he learned too late when the night came down, How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out. The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems afar. So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit, It’s when things seem the worst, That You Mustn’t Quit!
To the stressed church in Smyrna, Jesus told them Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.” (Revelation 2:10)
Oh, and about Peter, he went on to preach on Pentecost.
When you get discouraged, remember the end and don’t quit.
–Robert G. Taylor
robertgtaylor.com
