Finish Strong

Psalm 27: 13-14

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed

That I would see the goodness of the Lord

In the land of the living.

Wait on the Lord;

Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the Lord!

You're running on your last fumes of gas. You don't know how much longer you can take all of what's going on around you. You're feeling lost, confused, frustrated, and irritated. You may be just about to lose heart...

Completing the last tasks for a major assignment, goal, project, or calling that God has placed in you can seem to take more energy out of you than beginning. I know that at times when I feel that there's a lot of pressure on me to perform and do well, I begin to get overwhelmed and anxiety begins to set in. About a few months ago, I mentioned in a post how my anxiety began to physically affect my health to the point that over the course of months I had to repeatedly go back-and-forth to the doctor. Everything is okay with me now; however, the overwhelming amount of stress that I was experiencing at that time made me really want to give up on my academic and spiritual goals. 

Giving up seems so easy and the most practical thing to do sometimes, especially if there seems to be no way out of your current situation. The problem with giving up or throwing in the towel is that:

1. We become comfortable and consumed by being in your current situation (Psalm 27: 2-3): Even in the midst of adversity, we can have confidence in knowing that we have no need of fear because God will be with us. Sometimes, instead of having assurance in this truth, we can let the darkness and evil of this world dwindle our light shining brightly for Christ. We can't let this happen. 
2. We being to lack trust in the power of God to deliver us from our situation (Psalm 27: 5): As we gaze upon the face of God - during good and bad times - we must rest in knowing that He will hide us under His arms of shelter, in His secret place, for our protection. If we lose our focus of God reigning supreme in our lives, we lose spiritual discernment in understanding right from wrong, leading to sin. 
3. We turn our focus off of God and to our situation: God is our help in times of trouble (Ps. 46:1). In our response to seeking God's face in all situations, we're able to inquire of God and seek Him to fill us. However, I must admit, a lot of times I'm just like Peter - I start of strong with every intention of allowing God to break me, mold me, and fill me up again, but somewhere along the way I get so confused with all the commotion of life around me (whether it be sin that I may be struggling to break free from, or a huge task that I have no idea how to complete), and begin to sink. If God is our ultimate prize, if He is our goal, we should be seeking to learn and strive towards becoming like Him in all ways. 
4. We're unable to see the goodness of God through Him working through our circumstances: This one is the one that I struggle with the most. God is our light and salvation (Psalm 27:1), illuminating areas that surround us, spiritually and physically, that may pose dangers to us. With His light, God also shines brightly on those areas that, well, we will share with our accountability partner, but that's about it. As believers, we strive towards being holy as God is holy, but yet, we're still human, and sin is so appealing. When faced with the option, we go towards sin more than God because we're naturally sinful in nature (Romans 3:23, Romans 5:8). When all we see around us are things that will hinder us from growing in God, we'll never be able to lift our heads up to see God as our Righteous Redeemer. When we are able to turn our focus to God, we are able to offer Him a sacrifice of joy, knowing what He has brought us through and delivering us from our enemies, sin, etc. Flee the temporary satisfaction of sin and pursue the beauty and holiness of God that is everlasting.

My prayer for you today is to allow God to give your heart a desire to only seek His face. He is with us and goes before us, never leaving or forsaking us (Deut. 31:6, Hebrews 13:5). Allow Him to be your strength and hope as you wait for His work in and through you.

SDG