Years ago I was reading a book that contained a most interesting, disturbing and thought provoking statement. “There is a dramatic difference between ‘giving up’ and ‘given up’,” she wrote. “Giving up may take a long time. It begins when we start to evaluate what is going on in our lives and attempt to come to a conclusion as to whether or not the struggle or struggles we are having is worth the effort. Given up is when we come to the conclusion that the struggle or struggles we face are no longer worth the effort it takes to breathe and resign ourselves to fate or death and life loses its meaning.” What was once “the future” is over and ends with a sign of resignation.

Again, we find sound advice and great encouragement from a proverb: “There is surely a future hope for you and your hope will not be cut off.” In other words, what is may not be what we would like it to be. But remember - it is not the end. We are to look beyond the present and accept the wisdom that comes from God and rest in His hope - not our circumstances.

The word translated “a future” describes something that comes after something else. It is what is last or behind or beyond what we can see - but not what we can believe.

We can take “hope” from the words of Jeremiah: “This is what the Lord says…For I know the plans I have for you…plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and will bring you back from captivity.”

Whatever captivates is as temporary as a passing cloud. How we view it is up to us. Do we give up or give “it” to God.

Prayer:  Thank You, Father, for giving us the hope that what is will pass and that our future rests with You and is in Your hands! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Proverbs 23:18 There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.

Wherever we look, we find people who are filled with despair and discouragement. Their hearts have been broken and their optimism beaten down. Issues and problems have overcome them. Everywhere they went and everywhere they looked they heard the same message: “Give up! There’s nothing here for you.”
No doubt most of us have felt that way.

When the lights go out at the end of the day and we are surrounded by darkness and fear; when there is no place to hide and no arms to embrace us; when we think that we have tried everything and there’s nothing left for us to hope for; does anyone anywhere have a word of advice or comfort for us?

Indeed there is: “I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Notice the words: “lift up!”

All too often it is all too easy to “give up” and not “look up.” But the Psalmist reminds us that our God transcends the uncertainties and difficulties, the pain and suffering, the loss and grief of this world. We are on the earth but must look up to heaven. We need help far beyond our own limited resources and the resources of others. We need wisdom that exceeds human wisdom. Unfortunately, we are all infected with a false sense of self-sufficiency.

But when we lift our eyes to heaven, we lift them up to the one Who created the universe. What love He has to bestow upon us and what strength is ours for the asking.

Prayer: Lord, may we turn our eyes and ears, minds and hearts heavenward and find Your joy and peace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalm 121:1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?

“There’s nothing left for me. I’ve made such a mess out of my life that I have nothing to look forward to. And the tragedy of it all is that things looked great for so many years. Now, when I look into the future all I see is gloom and darkness. Where can I find anything to look forward to?” he asked.

“There is an answer - I can assure you of that,” I said. Turning to Psalm 112:4, I read, “Even in darkness light dawns for the upright.”

God will always provide His Light for those who seek it. No matter how far we have fallen or how little hope we may have, God can take the bitterness of defeat and despair and turn them in to stepping stones of success. When we willingly face and acknowledge our faults and shortcomings, ask for and accept His forgiveness and surrender our lives to Him, He will bring victory out of defeat.

Consider the story of Peter. When someone asked if He was a follower of Jesus, he lied, saying, “I am not!” A few moments before His denial he attempted to protect Jesus with His sword. And there was Mark - the author of the second book in the New Testament. He started as a strong believer with complete trust in the message of Jesus. Suddenly, things grew boring and the excitement evaporated. So, he gave up the “call” and quit.

But in spite of their failures He did not give up on them. And neither will He give up on us. He forgave them, as He will us, and bring His light back into our lives.

Prayer: Help us, Father, to understand that “failure is not final” because Your grace provides a new beginning. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalm 112:4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.

All of us know individuals whose lives have gone from pinnacles of prosperity to places of poverty. We know the temptations that overtake some soon pass and that one is enslaved and imprisoned by harmful habits. Once they were blest. Now they are in bondage. There seems to be a pattern of self-destruction that overcomes many who are not satisfied with the gifts of God. They apparently will not allow His grace and goodness satisfy them.

This is what happened to the people of Israel. It seems that the more God gave them the less satisfied they were. Finally, their greed led them into slavery. But, thank God, their story does not end there. His love and mercy eventually brought redemption and restoration to them. When? When they repented and returned to the Covenant He made with them. God keeps His Word.

Not only did He rescue them from their captors, but “they were laden with silver and gold.” When we allow God to redeem us by His grace, His Word promises us that “It is He who will supply all of our needs from His riches in glory because of what Jesus Christ has done for us.” God will keep His Word with us, too.

He also empowers those whom He redeems: “From among their tribes no one faltered.” When God redeems us, we are called to serve Him faithfully. He has a plan for each of our lives and that plan contains many opportunities for us to serve Him. And for each of those opportunities He gives us, we know that He will empower us and we will not falter or fail if we are faithful to Him.

Prayer: Father, if we have strayed from the plan You have for us forgive and restore us to the joy of serving You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalm 105:37 He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold, and from among their tribes no one faltered.

Watching a child take his or her first steps is a marvelous sight to behold. Pictures are taken, memories created and lives changed.

Recently a mother and father brought their infant son to the Garden for his first steps. After finding the “perfect” location for this historic event, the father gently placed his hands under the child’s arms. As the child looked down at his tiny feet and with uncertainty began to “toddle” forward, the father relaxed his grip. Slowly, as the child began to walk on his own, he removed his hands completely. After a few staggering and uncertain steps the little fellow began to carry his weight on his own two feet. The parents were thrilled!

Suddenly, the child lost his balance and fell to the ground. Rushing to pick him up the father smiled, hugged him and encouraged him to “try again.” There was no scolding nor rejection for falling down. Rather, the father lifted him, dried his tears and helped him to begin again.

How like our Heavenly Father. If the Lord is delighted in the way we walk - even though we fall - He will come to our rescue, lift us up and “make our steps firm.” As long as we do our part to walk in His ways, He will do His part to give us the stability to “move on.”

When we fall, He does not consider us a failure. He lovingly lifts us up, tenderly dries our tears and then carefully watches over us as we struggle to walk in His ways. He will never leave us nor forsake us if we fall.

Prayer: Thank You, Father, for Your care, concern and compassion that always supports and sustains us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalm 37:23, 24 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand.

There once was a jockey who lost his first race and felt humiliated. But he did not give up. In fact, he lost his next 250 races before he enjoyed victory. His name? Eddie Arcaro and he became one of the most famous jockeys of his day.

There once was a baseball player who struck out 1,330 times. But he is not remembered for striking out. He is remembered for being one of the greatest home run hitters of all time. His name? Babe Ruth, a true legend in the history of “the game.”

There once was a man who once failed 99 times while doing the same experiment before it turned out right. But he is not remembered for his failures. Thomas Edison is remembered for being one of the world’s greatest inventors and is credited with 1,093 patents and his famous “trial and error” or Edisonian Approach to research: work until “you get the results you are seeking.”

Failure need not be fatal. It can be an important part of our learning process and lead us to ultimately discover the plan that God has in store for each of us.

There once was a man who denied his Lord. He often spoke without thinking, was brash and impulsive, turned his back on Jesus at His trial and even denied Him three times. Yet, he became the recognized leader among the disciples, was one of the “inner three” and became one of the greatest voices of the Gospel Message.

Prayer: We are grateful, Lord, that You will not give up on us as long as we stay close to You and seek Your will for our lives. May we never do less than our best for You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Proverbs 3:1-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Michael Jordan, the legendary basketball player is quoted as having said, “I’ve lost more than 300 games. There were twenty-six games when I was given the ball in the last seconds to make the basket that would have won the game. But it didn’t happen – I missed the shot and we lost. I have failed over and over. And that’s why I succeed.”

Strange quote from someone who elevated basketball to a higher level through his skills. We rarely think of such an achiever in any sport as someone who turned failure into success. High-achievers seem to come fully developed and highly skilled.

However, experience is always part of failure. And if we chose, we can use the experience to gain insight and from insight we can gain knowledge and from the knowledge we can gain wisdom and learn to turn failure into success.

The Christian has a wonderful resource to help in this process: the Holy Spirit. He dwells within us and is present, ready and willing to give us the wisdom we need to become successful in life.

There is one condition, however. If we want wisdom, we must go to God in humility and ask for it and then use it for His glory. God will give us whatever we need if we willingly use His gifts for His glory and not our own self-interests or self-advancement.

Prayer: Help us, Lord, to know that when we fail we need to “fall forward” into Your waiting arms, knowing that Your desire is to work with us to help us succeed. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today:  James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

For years Thomas Edison tried to perfect a long lasting storage battery. During this time he conducted thousands of experiments that were unsuccessful. One day one his employees came to him and said, “Isn’t it a shame that you have wasted all of this time? All of the tremendous labor and time that you have spent on this project has not achieved any results that will work.”

“I’ve got plenty of results,” said Edison. “You see, I’ve discovered several thousand that won’t work!”

To his credit, Edison was able to look at what he was doing as a way of learning and solving problems. When he failed he did not look at it as final. He looked at it as a stepping stone to success. How fortunate is that person who can see beyond the moment of defeat to the joy of victory!

Often we fail to see God at work in what we are doing. We look for the approval of others believing that our rewards come from them. Scripture reminds us, however, to define success in terms of being faithful to God and what He has called us to do. God rewards us for being faithful to Him, for doing what He calls us to do even when we fail in the eyes of the world.

Struggling through difficult days and trying times proves that our trust is in God and that we look to Him for our rewards. “Fear not, I will strengthen and help you.”

Prayer: It’s natural, Lord, to want the approval of those around us. Often we think that they are the final authority. Remind us, however, that we labor for You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

It was a hard-fought football game and a tough loss for the home team. Following the game a father asked his son, “Why did your team lose?”

“Well, Dad,” he answered, “the other team found a hole in our line and took advantage of it.”

“Why didn’t you close the hole?” asked the father.

“I tried, Dad,” he explained, “but I just couldn’t do it. I wasn’t strong enough.”

It is much easier to blame others for our failures than to admit that we may be the cause of a problem. That is called denial. But denial only keeps the problem going and the solution beyond our reach. Once we can admit “what is,” with God’s help we can deal with everything that He brings into our lives.

If we are able to admit that we have failed at anything or something large or small, whether it occurred yesterday or today, we can begin to learn from our experiences. And from our experiences comes insight; from insight comes wisdom; from wisdom comes learning; and from learning comes the lessons that we can apply to all of the opportunities that God brings into our lives.

Paul said that “I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.” Whatever God brings into our lives is His will. And the strength we need to face and be victorious over anything and everything that He brings to us, will come from Him and our commitment to doing it. We cannot expect His strength to subdue things that do not concern Him or are not in His will for our lives. But if we are doing what He would have us to do, the victory will come from Him.

Prayer: Help us, Father, to look to You for the strength we need to do what You would have us to do and to be willing to give You the credit for our success. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

It is not unusual for a jockey to lose his first race. But it is unusual for a jockey to continue to lose and not give up. Few people remember how many races Eddie Arcaro lost. He is remembered as the most famous jockey of his day.

There was a baseball player who struck out one thousand, three hundred and thirty times. But he kept swinging and also refused to give up. Today, when we mention home run hitters, the name Babe Ruth comes to mind and he is remembered for the number of home runs that he hit.

One individual failed ninety-nine times on one experiment. Eventually it worked. We do not remember Thomas Edison for what he did not accomplish, but for what he did accomplish. Today he is recognized as one of the greatest inventors the world has ever known.

Failure does not have to be fatal. It can always be used as a step to success. We must keep praying and pushing, trusting and trying. “Put God first,” says the Bible, and “He will crown your efforts with success.”

Prayer: Father, we are always tempted to take the easy way out and accept defeat. Your Word assures us that You will reward us if we look to You, honor You and use the talents You have given to us to bring glory to You: in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Scripture for Today: Proverbs 3:1-6

After working on his term paper for many weeks, a student submitted his carefully written product to his professor. When it was returned, there was a note on the front of it that read, “Your work should be written so carefully and thoroughly that even the most ignorant can understand it.”

Indignant, he went to his professor, pointed to the note and said, “I certainly agree with you. Which part can’t you understand?”

It is easy to be misunderstood by others. Sometimes it is difficult for us to make our thoughts and feelings clear. Sometimes the words just won’t come out right and the thoughts get jammed.

Even though there are times when it seems that others do not understand us, there is One whose understanding is unlimited – our heavenly Father.

When we have a problem He gives us His promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us.

When life seems overwhelming, we have the assurance that He will never leave us nor forsake us.

When faced with failure, we know that His grace is sufficient.

We have His Word that He not only understands, but that His understanding is beyond measure!

Prayer: Help us, Father, to trust in Your grace and goodness, Your power and presence, Your care and concern. Enable us to believe that You will bring victory from defeat, joy from sorrow and help when life seems hopeless. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Scripture for Today: Psalm 147:5