The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned back on the day of battle. (Psalm 78:9)
There are many things in this life that can tempt us to turn back and go in the opposite direction from the one God is calling us to take. Sin can and often does cause us to shrink back from the call of our Lord. Forgetting the promises of God can do this as well. We see that the men of Ephraim were well-equipped, but apparently they were trusting in their arms and not the Almighty, and they turned back on the day of battle.
How do we protect ourselves from turning back when we are tempted to do so? Jesus warned us that there will be storms in this life; we may be tempted to turn back during those storms. How can we come to the end of our lives and be able to say, as Paul did, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7)? We keep our focus on our Savior and not on the storms.
It’s hard to find anyone in sacred Scripture, other than Jesus, who endured more storm winds in life than the apostle Paul. Yet through it all, Paul never let the waves of challenge wash out his witness for Jesus. He was able to rise above the circumstances in life because he rested in the reality of his Redeemer.
Far too many men and women who profess faith in Christ turn back from following their Lord when they are confronted by the hardships and difficulties that are part of life on this earth. Rather than submitting to Christ, they let circumstances control the outcome of their lives. Regardless of what you are facing today — and I am not minimizing any tragedy or difficulty that has befallen you — remember this: Greater is the power that is at work within you than any power that comes against you. When you are tempted to turn back, trust and press on, knowing that He who began the good work in you has promised to bring it to completion.
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 