Don't quit

Psalm 17, from the Message, reads:
3 Go ahead, examine me from inside out,surprise me in the middle of the night— You'll find I'm just what I say I am. My words don't run loose.
4-5 I'm not trying to get my way in the world's way. 'm trying to get your way, your Word's way. I'm staying on your trail; I'm putting one foot in front of the other.I'm not giving up.

This morning I'm particularly interested in the sentence, "I'm putting one foot in front of the other."

In time we all begin to understand the seriousness of the walk we take with the Lord. It is not all enthusiasm and happy, happy times. It isn't. Sometimes it's a struggle. Sometimes we have to say to the wind, "I'm not giving up." And we rejoice in that conviction.

Some out there have not said that because they're having a difficult time getting to that feeling. There is still the very real idea that they might give up.

I know that when I look up and folks who were new to the church and completely enthused and happy and ready for the next assignment who turn up missing one day, they had those thoughts and they were bent low till they just gave up.

Why keep coming? Why keep trying? Has anything changed? Has their marriages improved? Has their parenting skills gotten better? Why isn't that pastor helping me?

The fact is the pastor doesn't help. God does. And God only becomes a stronghold when we enter the stronghold. We can't dance outside the thing and expect that somehow things will be better.

Keep putting one foot in front of the other. Keep trying. Keep praying. Keep screaming if that will help.

But don't quit.

Sometimes it is the only thing we have left. The only thing.