Haven’t we all been there at some point in our lives, when we feel like their’s only two things that we can do, either give up, or give it all we got.  Have you ever thought about what happened with Job, God gave Satan the opportunity to do anything you want to his family, or his property, but you can not touch the man.

Job 1: 8Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”

9“Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. 10“Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

12The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”

Than Satan goes out from the presence of the Lord, eventually three servants come to Job, and tells him, that everything that He had from his family, to his animals, has been destroyed, the only ones that survived was his wife, and the three servants.  Talk about wanting to give up, how is it that Job did not give up at that point?  At the end of Job chapter 1, it even says that Job did not sin, by saying that God did something wrong.

Though that was not the end of it, Satan comes back, and decides with the okay from God, that he would put sickness, and sores on Job’s body, His own wife, told him to curse God, and die, yet he could not do that.  He even tells her, that she is talking like a foolish woman.  How many times do we do that in our own lives, we talk foolish.  We think that since everything is going wrong in our lives, we will just give up, instead of pressing forward, and listening to what God has for us.

Job also says, Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

I think at times in our lives, we forget that God doesn’t promise us, all Roses, and Sunshine, their will be storms, their will be thunder, and lightening, the waves that we walk on, sometimes will fill our boat, and we will get scared.  Though eventually God says Peace Be Still.

Though what are we going to do during those tough times in our lives.  Are we going to give up?  Just because a tragedy strikes, just because a death in the family comes, just because we have cancer, and the doctor’s don’t give us much up.  Doesn’t mean we have to give up, instead we get up, and we give it all we got.

I would’ve given up several times, but some how, some way, I didn’t, I realized that I needed to get up, and give it all that I had.  Obviously it wasn’t my strength, or my power that I used to move forward, but it was God in me, that allowed me to give it all that I had.  It was his Holy Spirit, speaking in me, telling me not to give up, it was reading the Bible, and reading verses like Jeremiah 29:11, telling me that God had a plan and a purpose for my life.  Reading Hebrews 12, which talks about running the race, and running with determination, and how we need to keep ours eyes fixed on Jesus.

In the end, Job, did not give up, He got up, and gave it all He got, it wasn’t easy for Job, he went through health issues, he lost all that He had, and in the end, God blessed him, more than all that He had before,

Job 42:12 says 12The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. 13And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. 15Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.  16After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 17And so Job died, an old man and full of years.

So when your going through hard times, difficulties, struggles, job loss, health issues, don’t give up, get up, and give it all you got, because God has a plan and a purpose for your life.  God doesn’t want you to give up, so easily, not only on your life, but on what God has in store for your life.  Think about this, what would’ve happened if Job would’ve giving up and just ended his own life.  If he would’ve listened to his wife, and just quit, he wouldn’t have seen the blessings that God had for him down the road.  Health issues, are not fun to deal with, I know, financial issues, are not easy to deal with, but God says He will supply our needs.  

My last comment is Not to give up, but to Get up, and Give it all you got.