Encouragement

---

DON'T GIVE UP
"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness"
Isaiah 41:10

We live in a world of uncertianity. . .everything changes, all around us we see heart ache, grief, strife, pain, but yet we also can see joy, happiness, excitement, and love. . .
The writer in the book of Ecclesiastes writes in chapter 3 that there is a time for everything. .
Often times things happen to us in life that knocks us off our feet. . .often times situations or issues in our lives make us feel as though we are drowning and there is no hope. . .But my friend I am here to tell you there is hope. . .Life can be like a ship on a stormy darken ocean. . .we struggle to get to shore and we know there is rocks up ahead but we can't see them and we know that if the ship hits one of them we will sink. . .but if not for the light of the light house lighting the way then we would all surely perish. . .Let us discover this LIGHT together. . .

When I was a child I use to have this friend who I loved to play with. . .His name was Adam. Adam and I were the best of friends. . .we would pretend to be star wars characters or super heros. . .He would always let me be the good guy. . .but I moved away and I didn't see nor hear from Adam until we were much older. . .by then both of our lives had changed so much we were no longer the innocent little children playing. . .Adam's life had had many rough turns and a lot of pot holes in the road to sort of speak. . .by the time I caught back up to him he was heading off to prison for three years for robbery. Adam was an intelligent and good looking young man. But like many of us life had handed him several blows and like a ship on open water trying to find the shore line Adam couldn't see the Light from the light house nor the rocks ahead. He completed his prison sentence and came home. Within a year of his release Adam was trying to piece together what life he had left.
Throughout Adam's youth a certian youth pastor had been trying to witness to him about JESUS (the true light house). . .by this time Adam was 21 years old. He was making plans to better his life some say that he was thinking about getting a voucher so he could enter into the military. I am not quiet sure on that but I do know he was trying to do better for himself. Even though he was trying to improve Adam still wandered aimlessly through this life. . .I got to speak to Adam briefly one day when he came into the place that I was working at. . .that was to be the last time I would ever lay eyes on him until a year later and only then I saw him in pictures.
On a August night in 99' a few bad choices were made which ended Adam's life. He was shot four times. . .Why do I remember this so well? Because the next morning as I went into work I was busy about my day when my mom called me. She told me that there was a rumor going around that Adam had been killed. I didn't want to believe this. . .I wanted to believe that my little elementary buddy was really trying to make a good life for himself. . .
At the place of business that I worked at it had a photo lab were they developed pictures. They also developed the police pictures as well. As I hung up the phone with my mom I went to the lady that was over the pictures and asked her had she developed any pictures from the police. She told me yes and asked me why. I told her what my mom had told me and the lady looked kinda grim at me and she said I just put up some pictures of a young man who had been shot. . . Before I could stop myself I went to the file were the pictures were held and looked through them. I want never forget seeing my little elementary friend who was now a grown man laying on a cold hospital bed with no life. I put the pictures up and went to the store room in the back of the business that i worked at. . .I can remember getting real angry with GOD. I threw a fit beyond belief to be honest with you.
A few days later I attended Adam's memorial service. There at the service was the youth pastor that had been witnessing to Adam. He got up and spoke and this is the events that took place the night Adam died:

As they rushed Adam to the hospital he was still alive. . .upon arrival the youth pastor was called and immediately made it to the hospital. . .There was nothing the doctors could do for Adam really but Adam was alert and awake. . .The youth pastor went into the room where they had him. . .upon seeing the youth pastor Adam started crying and begging for his life. . .the pastor asked Adam that if he died tonight where will you be Adam? At this time in life Adam was nearly over six foot tall with a muscle build frame. . .He had several tattoos I tell you this not for you to judge him but for you to gather that this was indeed a full grown man. . .Adam looked at the pastor as the pastor asked this. . .He started to panic and begged the pastor "DON'T LET ME GO TO HELL! PLEASE DON'T LET ME GO TO HELL" he begged. . .The youth pastor led Adam into JESUS's arms that night! Adam gave his life over to the LORD and as he did Adam calmed down and closed his eyes to never again open them on this earth. . .

After I heard this I sat in awe over the whole thing. . .I knew then my little friend was well taken care of. . .Adam I had seen the Light of the light house and avoided the rocks up ahead. . .He is now safe in the arms of our LORD. . .


I related that personal story to you to bring out two points here. . .

The first point I want to bring out is that take notice to the youth pastor. . this youth pastor pesevered in ministering to Adam. . .He did not give up on Adam. . .and in the end this youth pastor's love for GOD and love for Adam led Adam into the arms of the LORD. . .

The second point I want to speak of is this Adam like many of us have bounced around this old world struggling just to keep our head above water. . .He tried many paths and they all led him to a dead end. . .perhaps many of you will look at this story and say well his life ended but I tell you his life just begun the night he physically died. His life actually began the very moment he accepted Jesus into his life. . .

You see some of us are at that point of giving up. . .my friend please listen to the word of GOD. . .understand when the world walks out the true FRIEND walks in. . .

Isaiah 41:13

"For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee."

God speaks to us all. . .for the saved He is telling us do not fear I have you and I am with you and as He said in Deuteronomy 31:8 He goes before us and He will not forsake us.
For the lost person He is saying I am here, I am the one you are looking for. . .you are lost and I have found you please turn around and see that I am GOD. . .

This life in this old world can consume us it can overcome us but through the LORD JESUS CHRIST we can overcome it. . .You see you may look at Adam's life as a waste but the LORD looked at it differently. . .Adam may have failed each way he turned in life but in the end he overcame not of us on power but through the power of JESUS CHRIST. . .

Maybe you are like the youth pastor maybe you have reached out and reached out to someone and they seem to ignore your love or the fact that you care. . .maybe you have bent over backwards to do for others and it seems like it all gets throwed back in your face

Maybe you have tried to improve your life but keep failing. . .maybe you have tried to reach out for help only to find emptiness. . .

The truth my dear friend is this. . .as children of GOD often times our love that we give is ignored or neglected but that should give us no reason to give up. . .understand our very own LORD JESUS CHRIST said : "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you." John 15:18

We each grasp for peace, hope, love, and understanding in this life. . .but until a person realizes who was, is, and always will be the LIGHT in the darkness then we only grasp aimlessly in the dark. . .like the ship on the dark stormy sea some of us can't see the rocks ahead some of us don't even know where to find the LIGHT house. . .wave after wave falls upon us and often times we fall in fear and when we do we start to drown. . .Let me tell you dear friend the LIGHT you are searching for is JESUS. . .and for those of you who see the LIGHT understand it lights the pathway to safety. . .

GOD says to HIS children fear not neither be dismayed. . .He tells us HE holds our right hand. . .

If you don't know the LORD JESUS CHRIST as your LORD and SAVIOR
Please do not set there and convince yourself that you will be able to have that last chance like Adam to know the LORD. . .death happens quickly in most cases. . .don't put off till tomorrow to do what you can do today. . .for we are not promised tomorrow. If you don't know JESUS as your LORD and Savior I beg of you please don't just think about it for a moment but realize your very existance depends on that one choice. . .I tell you this not because I am trying to push another religion down your throat but I tell you this because I love you not because of something you have done for me not because of anything but the mere fact that I too once was in the darkness and when you are shown the LIGHT you do all you can to help rescue those that are still in the darkness. . .You see GOD is not our enemy HE provided us a way to live life abundantly through HIS precious SON JESUS CHRIST. . .I know what it is like to wander aimlessly or to think that things of this world is going to make me happy or give me joy and only to find out none of it truly can because it all comes to past. . .I know what it is like to hurt so deep inside that you think that you will suffocate . . .and I know what feels like to feel the weight of this life it can crush you but my friend there is a FRIEND greater than anyone on this earth and HIS NAME IS JESUS. . .HE is real and HE IS ALIVE. . .and HE does LOVE you too. . .because of that love HE DIED for people like me and like you. . .because of that love HE arose from the grave to give us victory over eternal death. . .HE IS THAT LOVE. . .and HE is there waiting for you. . .

And brothers and sisters in Christ I tell you this each of us need to be more like that youth pastor instead of making excuses or getting our feelings hurt everytime someone rejects us we need to look a little deeper and love with all we got and if we got JESUS then that love is truly unlimited. . .It is by HIS strength and not our own. . .it is by HIS love that can reach into the darkest night of the darkest soul. . .let us persevere my dear friends let us not give up. . .and though you feel defeated you are not. . .Are you not the child of the ONE TRUE LIVING GOD? If you are then please take these verses of scripture to heart. . .

2 Corinthians 4:7-11

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.


Friends let us go forth into this darken world as Paul said "I die daily" another words lets nail self to the cross and go forth in love. . in the love of JESUS CHRIST. . .let us not grow weary of love or loving others. . .

And to those of you still searching all you have to do is open your heart my dear friend. . .

We were not put here to give up. . .but to overcome in JESUS it is truly all about HIM and not about us. . .

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE