IT'S ALWAYS TOO SOON TO QUIT

Dr R.J. Oavis A FRIEND of mine passed this bit of wisdom on to me recently. His observation, with which I heartily agree, is confirmed by Solomon, who said, "He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap" (Eccl. 11:4). The truth of this statement is vividly illustrated by the story of a young man who jumped to his death from the window of a large downtown hotel. The young man had incurred considerable debt, including his hotel bill, and he had no money. In his concern, he sent a message to his brother for help. The money did not come and, driven to despair, he took what seemed to him the only way out. He quit! The real tragedy was that at that very moment when he took his suicidal leap, there was a letter waiting for him at the lobby desk, with more than enough money in it to cover his bills - if only he had not given up! In God’s service, too, it is always too soon to quit. There are those today who say, "The day of missions and of evangelism is past. It’s all over." They emphasize their point by describing the difficulties, the dangers, and the seeming defeats that we are facing. Their tales are true, and more than true, but they are not new, and their conclusions are utterly wrong. "But God is able..." is a statement of fact that contradicts such conclusions. As far back in history as the three Hebrew young men, who cried, "Our God is able" when facing the fiery furnace, God’s people have proven that God Himself is the inscrutable factor in human history. He is the reason why His servants need never give up. It is of course true that Christians today, face not only most of the problems of the past, but also plenty of new ones: Revolutions, riots, rumours, tumult, turbulence, tension, dangers in the air, dangers on the ground, disease, disappointment, even death. Even so, they and all who trust God, may know the peace of heart which fills the breast when commitment to Christ is com-plete and constant. Such people do not entertain thoughts of giving up, of defeat, of being beaten. They know that victory has been promised. Oh, the sweetness of His strength and courage, the result of abandonment to the Lord of heaven and earth, Controller of history, Captain of His people, certain Victor! IN HIS SERVICE, IT IS ALWAYS TOO SOON TO QUIT! (Life Indeed )