Begin Again!

You have heard of the perseverance of Job...
James 5:11 NKJV

There are four faces of the man of God in the book of Ezekiel: a lion, an eagle, a man, and an ox. The last face, the ox, speaks of perseverance. The ox is a plodder. He will plough from sunup until sundown. Put him in a stall, feed him, and next day he'll plough and plod until the task is complete. He refuses to quit. Look at Job, attending the funeral of his ten children, losing his wealth and his health, listening to a wife with a tongue sharp enough to clip a hedge. Yet despite all her dour words he didn't quit. Learn from him! 'You have heard of the perseverance of Job, and seen the end intended by the Lord.' Job focused on the end-goal, not the immediate circumstance. Our problem is, we want it all now. A billboard reads, 'Antiques manufactured while you wait.' Life doesn't work that way!
There are times when quitting looks good, defeat inescapable and retreat the only option. The question is, how will you handle these times? David Ben-Gurion observed: 'Courage is a special kind of knowledge; the knowledge of how to fear what ought to be feared and how not to fear what ought not to be feared. From this knowledge comes an inner strength that inspires us to push on in the face of great difficulty. What can seem impossible is often possible with courage.' So whatever difficulties you're facing today, draw on God's grace and keep trying. Mountains only seem so high from the valley. The road to success runs uphill; don't expect to break any speed records. The thing to try when all else fails is begin again!