WEEKLY MESSAGE
SUN, 27/07/25 - SAT, 02/08/25
ON THE MESSAGE THIS WEEK: PERSIST. YOU WILL WIN
KEY VERSE: “WE NEVER GIVE UP” (2 CORINTHIANS 4:8)
Before you quit and walk away, read the story of how Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem in just fifty-two days: First, he sought God’s help. ‘We prayed to our God’ (see Nehemiah 4:9). Second, he protected his vision. ‘We... posted a guard day and night to meet this threat’ (see v9). Third, he refused to quit. ‘Should a man like me run away?... I will not’ (see Nehemiah 6:11). Someone once said, ‘You may never know what results come from your action, but if you do nothing there will be no results.’ In spite of the obstacles, the enemy, and the pressure – Nehemiah refused to give up. And God honours people with such a spirit. Paul said, ‘Even when we don’t know what to do, we never give up. In times of trouble, God is with us’ (see 2 Corinthians 4:8-9).
Thomas Edison gave the world electric light, microphones, storage batteries, sound films, phonographs, and a thousand other inventions. Here are the principles he lived by:
1) Work to obtain all the knowledge you can about what you want to achieve
2) Fix your mind on your purpose. Persist! Seek! The trouble with most people is they quit before they start
3) Keep searching, no matter how many times you meet with disappointment
4) Refuse to be influenced by the fact that someone else tried the same thing and failed
5) Stay ‘sold’ on the idea that somewhere a solution to the problem exists, and you’ll find it.
The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco can move up to twenty feet in either direction at its centre. All of its parts, including its concrete roadway, steel railings, and cross-beams, are connected from one welded joint to another through the vast cable system to two great towers, then down to a rock foundation beneath the Pacific. Here are two important biblical truths we learn from this:
1) You must be strong. Paul writes: ‘God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet’ (see Ephesians 6:10-15).
2) You must be resilient! The Golden Gate Bridge has survived a century of earthquakes because it was built to sway – but not too far. It’s flexible and resilient – you must be too. Paul wrote: ‘We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don’t know what to do, we never give up. In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again’ (see 2 Corinthians 4:8-9).
Have a blessed week in Jesus' Name, Amen.
(Article/ extract from ucb, wordfortoday)
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Did you know: There are almost 20 different passages in the Bible where it is mentioned that we are God's people.
Ref: Jeremiah 32:38 / Ezekiel 14:11 / Zechariah 8:8 / 2 Corinthians 6:16 / Hebrews 8:10 / Ezekiel 11:20 / Ezekiel 37:23 / Jeremiah 7:23 / Jeremiah 31:33 / Ezekiel 37:27 / Jeremiah 31:1 / Revelation 21:3 / Exodus 6:7 / Leviticus 26:12 / Jeremiah 11:4 / Jeremiah 30:22 / Ezekiel 36:28.