We all feel like giving up sometimes
we all go through times where we feel like God is one million miles away but we don't have
any idea what he's doing when we're tired when we're weary when we think we just can't go on
Living through a season of struggle that doesn't seem like it's ever going to end
Walking through a trial that you have to endure and it causes you to wonder if you can take the
next small step of faith when this year started you thought it was going to be a great year of
provision but the provision didn't come when this year began you didn't think it would be a season
of sickness and now all you're doing is praying for healing when this year started you were filled
with hope and enthusiasm but all you've known is torment and anguish it has been a long year
it's a year where you've struggled in your business it's a year where maybe you've struggled
in your home or your marriage it's a year in which the things that you thought you would
never see happen not only did they happen but they keep happening over and over and over again first
you cannot give up when you enter into your long season you've got to give it all you've got
when people go into a season of struggle the first thing that they want to do
is take a sabbatical but whenever
trouble comes the only way that you can get through trouble is work your way through it
don't quit how did Joseph survive in what others drowned in effort
effort comes before excellence when Joseph was on his knees scrubbing Potiphar's floors
God was standing over him and he says I know this doesn't look like much Joseph
but I promise you you're closer to the breakthrough than you've ever been before
as a child of God be a person of excellence too many people walk through the long years and
they do not survive them why because rather than give it all they've got they give up
listen to the words of the apostle Paul he said whatever your hands find to do
do it with all of your might why as unto the Lord and not unto men God is watching
God is the one who will reward you when that time comes let your life be lived in such a
way that what you get to hear is well done thou good and faithful servant don't give up
when you're walking through the long gears not only do you not give up but you can't give in it's
going to be in the hardest seasons of your life that the greatest temptations are going to come
not just the temptation to quit but the temptation to walk away from your faith
the temptation to do what you thought you'd never do there's two things that you can
do with trouble you can let trouble make you better or you can let trouble make you bitter
and that's your choice you know we all suffer don't we we go through things you know the first
thing we want to do when we're suffering is we want to run we want to get away from it some way
shape or form but you know what you got to go through the hard part to get to the good part you
got to go through the hard part to get to the good part and that doesn't mean the hard part's always
fair life is not always fair but God is fair God is a God of justice and that's one of my favorite
things about the character of God and justice means that he always makes wrong things right
God always makes wrong things right if we trust him and if we handle the wrong thing
in the right way and so when you're going through hard things you got two choices
you can give in and give up or you can get strong amen and I believe that we can do
anything that God gives us to do but the one thing we cannot do is give up when it gets hard
I don't know what you might be going through today but I want you to know that God knows
what you're going through today and he knows every little bit of pain that you've got he knows every
tear that you've cried and I know you've asked him many times why did my loved one die why did
I lose my job why did I lose my retirement why did my house burn down why did why was
my house just why why why why why you know what trade all those why's for God I trust you
God I trust you I don't know why but I love you enough that I don't have to know why
I tell you what I believe that God is good and I don't care what the devil tries I don't care what
the world does I don't care what wicked evil people do my God is a good God and I believe
that anybody who doesn't believe in him is making a serious mistake in their life
you can't just believe believe God when you're on the mountaintop
you got to know how to make it through the valleys and stay victorious in your life people want to
know why do we have to endure this people ask God what's your plan why these seasons of struggle
in this world you will have tribulation you can't deny that
why because the source of truth said that
Job said as surely as sparks fly upward men are born to trouble
everyone that God used everyone that God had a plan for everyone who did something
great for the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords they went through a struggle they
all graduated from the same university of adversity and God has a seat saved for you
but what was it about their mindset that would allow them to look at a season of struggle
and say think it not strange or they would look at a season of struggle and then they would shout
with joy this was not some made-up outcome that they were striving for it was something that
they truly enjoyed why because they recognized that whenever they were in a season of struggle
God was growing them whenever they were in a season of struggle God was preparing them
whenever they were in a season of struggle he was getting ready to open up the windows
of heaven and pour out blessings upon them they didn't know how big the blessing would be they
didn't know how the outpouring would come they didn't know all of the details but they knew
that God's hand was upon them and that he was taking them somewhere that was greater than what
they could ask think or imagine so when the problem came they just started praising God
and saying thank you Jesus you've still got a plan for me when the struggle came they said
you know I'm going to be stronger when this is over I'm going to be able to endure more I'm
going to be able to do more I'm going to be able to receive more I'm going to be able to
accomplish more and I assure you child of God if he did that for them he's doing it for you
Half of the scriptures about suffering half of them which this is really good news
are all about God delivering us from suffering
however not one of those says when be patient everyone has to wait everyone has to endure
but here's what God says will happen for you when you do wait in Isaiah he said they that wait upon
the Lord those who are patient he will renew their strength they'll mount up like wings of
eagles they'll run and not grow weary they'll walk and not faint because when you have patience to
wait upon the Lord you begin to recognize that his promises are what gives you strength it's
not the outcome that gives you strength it's the promise that gives you strength but you're gonna
have to go through things I don't care whether you start a business rather you're raising a child
you want to get married you want to have a good marriage you want to get your home paid off
you want to be in ministry whatever it is you're going to get some opposition from satan a wide
door of opportunity opened unto me Paul said and with it many adversaries and the reason that you
have tribulation is because everything that God gives you the enemy wants to take it from you
it's a principle God gives you peace he wants to give you worry God gives you health he wants to
give you sickness God gives you more than enough he wants to take your more than enough so that
you have insufficiency why because he wants you to doubt every promise that God ever made
everything that God has given you in your life you have to realize there is an enemy who is
very real and he wants to take it Jesus said in the world guess what you will have tribulation
cheer up I have overcome the world you know what we've already read the end of the book
we know what's going to happen be of good cheer because the battle is not yours it belongs to
the Lord be of good cheer because the enemy that you're facing even though he's trying to cause
you to doubt even though he's trying to create worry even though he's trying to build up your
concerns be of good cheer because I've already made a public spectacle of him at a place called
Calvary I have already humiliated him all you have to do is remind him of my name all you have to do
is remind him of the power of my blood all you have to do is remind him that whom the son sets
free is free indeed and be of good cheer child of God the battle is the Lord's and the victory
is yours through the power of his mighty name we have the privilege of trusting God no matter what
we're going through we have the privilege of trusting God all things work together for good
not all things are good but all things work together for good to those who love God and who
trust him put your trust in God don't ever blame God for the wickedness and the evil in the world
and try not to live your life saying why God why replace a lot of that with look God I trust you I
know you're good and I know this is gonna work out right wake up and recognize that if you've
been through some stuff God was with you while you were walking through it and he's with you now
he's still on the throne he still has a plan for you he's still working it out in your life he is
not going to leave you he is not going to forsake you he has the way through the wilderness and if
you'll look to him he'll lead you and guide you and give you a blessing that you cannot contain
I'm pleading with you today whatever God is trying to do in your life right now
even if you don't understand it don't run away from it trust God let him do what he
wants to do in you so you can have the life that he really wants you to have