“But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!” (2 Chronicles 15:7 NKJV) What an encouragement when I was reading Scripture yesterday morning! At times, I wonder why I write. The rewards seem to be mostly intrinsic and, believe me, sometimes I get tired. I am sure you do too, at whatever you are doing. We get physically tired or discouraged and we wonder why we keep on keeping on.
Moms and Dads of young children are bound to get tired of the constant watching over those little ones, doing without so a son or daughter can have what is, for the moment at least, a dire necessity. Politicians who actually love our nation and are trying to stand strong on biblical precepts–they must grow tired and wonder why they keep trying. The breadwinner who is weary of his job which seems to be going nowhere must wonder why he is in that situation. The answer to all these Whys is in the fifteenth chapter of 2 Chronicles. This is a promise, folks! And this is from the Lord who doesn’t break promises. Our reward may be in seeing our children grow strong and tall, with lives on a sturdy foundation. It may be in writing to the best of my ability so I can be proud of what I’ve done, or it may be knowing that although we’ve lost a battle, we will win the war. If our reward is not on earth, it most definitely will be in Heaven. However, the Lord is not averse to earthly rewards.
Each of us has his or her own particular set of circumstances or challenges that try to make us give up. As long as we keep on, we are not defeated. Our only defeat lies in when we quit trying. I firmly believe the verse, “The joy of the Lord is my strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). I have experienced this and know it is true. Joy, singing, laughing strengthen me emotionally and also physically. Try it!
I like the words of Sir Winston Churchill: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.” Mr. Churchill knew the value of keeping on, even when faced with a formidable foe.
It is good to remember that when my hands or my will grow weak, I have Someone who never gets tired, never gives up, and who knows there is light at the end of the tunnel. That, indeed, is a strengthening thought.
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