“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
Ephesians 6:13
Never give up. Always persevere. The circumstances of life will often try to wear a person down until they are ready to give up. However, the Lord commands us that once we have done all we can, to just stand. Stay steadfast. Do not give in. Do not give up the territory that you have gained. In Exodus you see the example of the Israelites and the difference between those that stood in faith without wavering and those who constantly doubted. When they were delivered from Egypt by the mighty hand of God and countless miracles, they rejoiced. However, when Pharoh’s army pursued them and they had no way out, they complained and gave up. Yet, God in His mercy still parted the Red Sea for them. When they walked through on dry ground and their enemies were devoured by the waves of the sea, they rejoiced. But then they didn’t have food, so they wavered an complained and decided God brought them out of Egypt to die in the desert. Then, God stepped in and gave them manna to eat, so they rejoiced. This happened time and again until they arrived at the promised land. When it was time to take the land, they saw that it was exactly as God said it would be, except for one thing they had not considered. There were giants in the land!
When the Israelites were told God would give them a land flowing with milk and honey, they only thought about the pleasant life. They did not even consider that there would be giants in the land they would have to defeat. As a result, they let go of their faith and accused God of bringing them there only to die in the desert at the hand of their enemies. They completely forgot about all the miracles God had already done for them, and only focused on the current frightening circumstance. They took their eyes off God and His promises and instead stared at the giants. Joshua and Caleb, however, handled the situation differently. They stayed in faith. They believed God’s promises more than what they could see. They told the Israelites that they were well able to take the land and should go up immediately. Joshua and Caleb knew how to remain steadfast on God’s promises. They stayed grounded in the truth of God’s word and did not waiver based on what they saw. The Israelites only believed what they could see and lost hope because the circumstances looked too great. However, Joshua and Caleb understood that God was greater than any enemy they could face.
When our lives don’t go as planned and what we expected turns out to be a disappointment, we must keep our eyes on God’s promises. God is faithful. We must remain steadfast even in the face of our greatest opposition. Do not give up! Stand your ground. Take your stand of faith and just like Joshua and Caleb, you too will enter and enjoy your promised land!
Further reading: Exodus 14 -17, Numbers 13-14, Joshua 1, Ephesians 6, 2 Corinthians 5:7, Hebrews 11:1-34
