Devotional – Never Give Up

I press on toward the
goal…..Philippians 3:14

One
evening on my way from work to church I decided to try a new route. The traffic
was unusually heavy and I did not want to be late. With that in mind, I made my
way hesitantly to this route on which I had never driven before. In fact, I had
passed that way only once before and at that time I was a passenger, not the
driver. In addition, I had come from the opposite direction, and even though I
am not directionally challenged, I was not sure of the exact turns which I
needed to make. I decided to feel my way along, hoping and praying that things
would work out somehow and I would arrive at my destination – church.

As
I drove along I looked for landmarks that I could remember from my first trip
through the area. Night had started to fall and I started to get that feeling
that somehow the place looked a little
different from what I remembered. Had I missed a turn? Now I wasn’t sure if I
was on the right track. The road ahead certainly did not ring a bell. Maybe I
should turn back. It never crossed my mind that I could have stopped and asked
for directions.

I
felt a little angry with myself but decided that under the circumstances, it
was best to stick with the familiar, the tried and true. So I turned back, made
my way slowly in traffic, and headed to church.

A
few weeks after, having consulted Google maps, and armed with the knowledge of
the layout of the area, I again ventured on the route. This time it was broad
daylight and I made my way with ease. I knew exactly where to turn. As I passed
a particular open lot, I recognized it as the point at which, on my previous
journey, I had decided to turn back. I drove along and suddenly realized that
the next turn was the turn to take me to church. Then it hit me, had I
persevered a little longer on my initial journey, I would have saved myself a
lot of time and energy. I should have pressed on a little longer, overlooking
the obstacles that I had encountered.

Now
that route has become a regular part of my commute. Each time I pass the open
lot I am reminded of important lessons. I must be tenacious. I must hold on. I
must persevere beyond the odds. Keep it moving, even when you get weary. Pause
to rest, if you must, but then keep going in order to achieve the goal.

Sometimes
we give up when we are just within reach of what we are striving for, when success
is just within striking distance. Let us endeavour to do what it takes to avoid
falling into such a trap.

Prayer

Father,
help us to persevere despite the odds. Help us to look beyond the obstacles to
see the goal ahead and help us to be willing and committed to taking the necessary steps to get there. In Jesus; name. Amen.