MEMORY VERSE: and let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not, Galatians 6:9
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Sam 11, Rom 9, Jer 48, Luke 16
People join the gym for different reasons. Many join to lose weight. Some join to keep fit. Others join to build muscles and few join to maintain their stature. Everyone joins the gym for a reason or the other. The first day at the gym is always the hardest. It is unusually tough because one is not used to the workouts and exercises. From experience the first day is usually characterized with body pains and muscle strain. As you work out regularly the body gets used to the routines and work out. The pains, strains experienced also reduce. Also from experience, you can’t do much on your first day at gym. As you train, you become stronger and fitter. It takes at least eight weeks depending on your body shape to notice any significant change in your body. Many get discouraged when they can’t see changes within three weeks and quit.
Getting the desired result you want from the gym takes a lot of patience and persistence. Within the first eight weeks you might not notice any significant changes but as you continue to work out, you will begin to notice changes in your body. With time, fellow gym users will begin to notice changes and encourage you. As you continue to work out your friends and family will begin to notice the changes too. At this point many relax or just take it easy but if you continue to work out you could end up as a professional body builder or instructor or something. The key thing in body building is persistence.
The same principle of body building applies to every other part of life. The key to success or breakthrough is persistence – keep on doing the right thing even when you cannot see results. Do you want a particular gift of the spirit, grow spiritually, overcome addiction, memorize the whole bible or build a ministry? Any good and purposeful thing you have set your mind to do requires persistence. The first trial is always the hardest and the least productive but don’t give up. Many a times because there are no results, it may seem like a waste of time, energy and resources but don’t give up. With time you will see results. One terrible thing about quitting is that by the time you return to try again, it becomes ten times harder than the first time. This is what happens when we pray. Every time you pray, you make spiritual progress. As you send spiritual missiles, walls of barriers to your blessings start to crack and fall. If you persist after a day or two or weeks depending on the wall, it will fall and you will get your breakthrough. The moment you stop praying, the enemy rebuilds the wall with harder material which means you require more praying and fasting to break the wall so please brethren persist in prayers. Hence pray without ceasing, 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
WISDOM: One terrible thing about quitting is that by the time you return again, it becomes ten times harder than the first time.
Bro Samuel – Reaching the world for Jesus.a
