Don’t Give Up!

Posted by anthologycreative

When Joni Eareckson Tada was 17, she suffered a diving accident that left her a quadriplegic and wheelchair-bound. Despite obvious obstacles, Joni refused to give up. She spent two years in rehabilitation, learning how to live without the use of her arms and legs. She even learned how to hold a paintbrush between her teeth to create fine art pieces. In 2010, after 44 years of quadriplegia, she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. She underwent surgery and took four rounds of chemotherapy. Now in remission, Joni never gave up when her life got difficult. Instead, she chose to focus on the fact that God was in control and she decided to see her difficulties as opportunities. “Trials are not just assaults to be withstood. No, trials are opportunities to be seized,” she said in a speech at a National Day of Prayer Observance in Washington, D.C., in 2011. “Life becomes inspiring, not in spite of the problems and the hard hits, but because of them.”

Source:  http://www.christianpost.com/news/joni-eareckson-tada-encourages-optimism-in-face-of-trials-50126/

THINK ABOUT JONI’S STORY as your read Jeremiah 20:3-6.

What do these two stories have in common?

Jeremiah had been jailed for the things he had prophesied. Yet he went right back to proclaiming the Lord’s Word when he was released. Why?

Would you have given up if you’d been Jeremiah? Explain.
TAKE ACTION
What are the discouraging situations or relationships in your life, the ones in which you’ve tried to proclaim Jesus’ message of hope, but it doesn’t seem to make any difference? Identify them and pray over them today.

 
Memorize Galatians 6:9. When you feel discouraged or exhausted by situations or people who don’t seem to care about Christ, recite it. Don’t give up!


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Sow and Reap

Posted by anthologycreative

When a farmer plants corn, he doesn’t harvest wheat. You can only harvest what you’ve actually planted. And believe it or not, that principle holds true for our spiritual lives as well.

Read Galatians 6:6-10, paying particular attention to verse 7.

Sowing refers to planting seeds. Reaping refers to harvesting the resulting food. What are some good seeds you are planting with how you live your life? What harvest do you think you will reap from those seeds?

What are some bad seeds you’re planting? What harvest do you see yourself reaping from those?

Why do you think Christians sometimes “get tired of doing good” (v. 9)?

What are some seeds you should be planting that you are not?

What are some seeds you need to quit planting?

We like to think of God as a loving Father who wants us to be happy, healthy, and wealthy, but that’s not the total picture of God. He gives us freedom to act, but our actions always have consequences. We may not suffer immediately for breaking one of God’s commandments. However, in the long run, every one of us will experience the consequences of the choices we’ve made.

You can choose to sin—even as a believer—and think it doesn’t matter or that you’re getting away with it. But your sinful choices have consequences. Spend some time today talking with God about the choices you’re making. If you need to, ask for His forgiveness. Ask Him what good seed you need to be planting. Determine to do all He shows you.


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