Please don't give up on me!

Ps. 119:8 I will obey your principles. Please don't give up on me!

The Lord never gives up on those who are determined to obey Him. He knows whether or not we are sincere and whether or not we are really trying. He knows that it is a demanding way of life. He never meant it to be anything other than that. We are in a war, not a cakewalk. The forces of evil are a formidable force, not easily conquered. There are many obstacles in our way to obedience. We can find a lot of excuses to not obey. We are easily convinced that to obey God is too hard or not in our best interests. It takes a strong will to follow up on our commitment to obey the Lord.

To obey God's principles mean that we are constantly changing. We cannot stay who we are and still be who God wants us to be. God's ways are the way of holiness. He is constantly at work in us to make us who we can and should be in Him. God doesn't give us principles to live by to make us feel good. He gives them to us to make us fit for the Kingdom. We are messed up because of sin. We have become ugly and sin hardens our hearts. So, it often is painful as we go through the change process. The Lord has to soften up our hearts in order to gain control of us. He takes His time to make sure it gets done right. He is persistent because He knows that there will be resistance. He is patient because He knows we don't always understand what He is doing or why it needs to be done.

In order for the Lord to make us holy, we must do our part. We must submit to His authority over us and obey His principles. We must be determined to make His way our way. If we don't give up our fight, the Lord won't give up on us. He will always be on our side to help us gain the victory, one battle at a time. And, don't give up on yourself. You can do it. The Lord knows you can or He wouldn't have commanded you to do it. Don't listen to Satan's lies. Listen to God; you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

Great is our victory in Jesus! Will you obey the Lord and share in it?