Yaba Baptist Church: Cup Of Faith Daily Devotional 2 December 2022 – Look Up! Don’t Give Up (2)
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TOPIC: Look Up! Don’t Give Up (2)
BIBLE TEXT: “When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who watch over my way…”(NIV). The Good news Translation puts it this way: “When I am ready to give up, he knows what I should do.” – Psalm 142:3
It is an established biblical fact that God doesn’t want you to get discouraged and quit at the halfway point of life. His will and plan is that you make it to the finish line. When discouragement sets in, He desires that you look up to Him and never give up. According to today’s text, God is by your side whenever you are down in the Spirit, He is always watching over you.
One of the reasons why people get easily discouraged is failure. As we continue to read through chapter 4 of the book of Nehemiah, when the Israelites got to the halfway point in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, they wondered if they were going to succeed. It was taking longer than expected, and they felt defeated and discouraged.
However, the truth is that nobody succeeds at first. The only way you succeed in life is by failing and learning what doesn’t work. Failure is the stepping stone to success. The difference between successful and unsuccessful people is that successful people see failure as a temporary setback while unsuccessful people see it as a mark on their character. Proverbs 24:16 says, “for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.”
Fear could equally lead to discouragement. The enemies of Israel did not only ridicule the rebuilding efforts, but they also threatened to swoop down on them, kill them, and stop the work. According to Nehemiah 4:11, the enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.” This kind of threat could instill fear in people’s hearts and could be a legitimate reason to get discouraged. Those who lived closest to the enemy were the most fearful. The reason is that they were constantly surrounded by extreme negativity.
Beloved of God, you may need to deal with that negative voice speaking to you right now. You may need to address the spirit of doubt as to whether you will end the year well or not. You may need to get rid of your fears as you look up to God. Failure is not the end of the story. Today’s failure can be your success story tomorrow. Therefore, don’t pay attention to the voice of discouragement; if you do, you’ll get all the more frightened, fearful, paranoid, worried, and discouraged.
Whatever it is, give it to God right now and begin to run with perseverance the race marked out for you, fixing your eyes on Jesus, the pioneer, and perfecter of your faith.( Hebrews 12:1-2)
PROPHETIC PRAYER
I pray for you today:
- May your strength be renewed like the eagle’s in the name of Jesus.
- You will surely end this year with praise and thanksgiving.
- Today, I break the yoke of delay upon your life.
- The Almighty God will give you attention.
- This weekend, your miracle and your testimony will surface.
So shall it be in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Have a wonderful weekend.
CHRIST IS THE ANSWER.
Yours in Christ,
Revd Dr. Bayo Sola Aremu
Church pastor
Yaba Baptist Church
Sabo-Yaba, Lagos
If you just prayed the prayer of salvation online please send your testimonies and prayer request to yababaptist@yahoo.com, +234 1 291 3962, +234 706 469 0938.
