Our Bible verse for today: “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the person who seeks him. It is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.” Lamentations 3:25-26 (CSB)
Our thought for today: “Don’t be a quitter.”
I’ve always been a big fan of John Wayne. The Duke was a tough guy, but in the best sense of the term. He was a champion for justice, a defender of the helpless, and a nightmare for the bad guys. And he never gave-up. He persevered and saw things through. I saw a picture of him the other day with a caption that read “I don’t much like quitters, son.” The point was that giving-up just isn’t something that winners do.
If your life is going to be one that is well spent you will have to learn to persevere through tough times. Life is filled with difficulties and challenges. Many times those difficulties will last for a long time. The people I admire most are those who hang in there and push through times of adversity – someone who doesn’t give-up when the going gets a little tough, a person who has learned to persevere with dignity.
This morning I want to share with you two quotes which have been inspiring for me and which I’ve held onto for years. The first comes from our 30th President of the United States, Calvin Coolidge. He once wrote:
“Nothing can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”
The second is from author Andy Andrews in his book “The Traveler’s Gift” and it is the seventh of the seven major decisions he lists as being key to a life lived well:
“I will persist and persevere without exception. I hold fast to my dreams and visions. I stay the course. I do not quit. Fatigue is often a precursor to victory. I will not be one of those who gave up just before the victory would have come … trying times produce great men. I will persist and persevere without exception.”
The ability to persevere through tough times is a trait shared in common among those whose lives are well spent. It’s what Jeremiah was referring to in Lamentations 3:25-26. Deliverance from the Lord comes to those who wait patiently for God to come through for them and who don’t give-up.
Don’t be a quitter. Hang in there and don’t give-up. Wait patiently for the Lord and He will deliver you.
Oak Hill Baptist Church