Never Give Up!
Never Give Up!*
Have you seen the image of a stork with a frog in its mouth, preparing to swallow the little green creature? The caption above the image reads, ‘Never Give Up!’ yet, at first glance, it appears to be a lost cause for the poor frog! But, upon closer inspection, we see that the frog is not giving up without a fight. His hands are simultaneously wringing the stork’s neck! The Major League Baseball Hall of Famer, Yogi Berra, of the New York Yankees, once famously quipped, “It ain’t over ‘til it's over.” Which means, there’s still hope for us, even in what would appear to be hopeless situations.
Is there someone in your life who needs a touch from God right now? Perhaps they feel like giving up any possibility of things changing for the better. Situations like these can even serve to discourage us from continuing to pray for a breakthrough in the lives of those who seem stuck, discouraged, or on the verge of giving up.
We know that sometimes God can be an ‘eleventh-hour hero’ who comes through for us, just in the nick of time. Recall the biblical account found in the second chapter of the Book of Mark. Four men, determined to bring their paralyzed friend before Jesus, were hoping that the Lord would touch and heal him. Even though they didn’t have direct access to Jesus inside the crowded room, they didn’t give up! Instead, they carried their immobile friend to the roof of the dwelling, created an opening, and carefully lowered him down, as he lay on his mat, right in front of Jesus.
So, what was Christ’s response to their desperate act of love and care? He healed the man of his paralysis as well as his sin, and all because of the overwhelming faith of his friends. This amazing story is meant to encourage us all to ‘pray without ceasing’ and to never give up.
Let us Walk in His Way.
Dear heavenly Father, You’ve given us many examples of where persistence and faith prevail if we don’t give up. We ask that You rekindle that fervor in our hearts as we “… approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16, NIV). Help us remember the frog who never gave up. Your will is done, and our resolve is strengthened in Jesus’ all-powerful Name. Amen.
*Artwork by Tim Huddleston
by Corinne “Kinney” deHamel
author of “Walk in His Way” for
Carry the Light Ministries
