NEVER GIVE UP

"Therefore, do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward."           Hebrews 10:35 [NKJV]

Many years ago, I was looking at the Bible verse above, from Hebrews chapter 10.  

The writer of Hebrews, earlier in this chapter, said to "...hold fast the confession of our hope (an ernest and confident expectation) without wavering, for He who promised is faithful" v.23

As I looked into these verses, I found out that the use of the words "cast away" was a nautical term that meant TO LET GO OF THE RUDDER.  So it could have said, "do not LET GO OF THE RUDDER IN YOUR LIFE...YOUR FAITH AND CONFIDENCE IN HE WHO IS FAITHFUL TO HIS PROMISES, which has great reward."

Also, in the text where it says to "...hold fast,"  that meant to HOLD AS IF YOU ARE ATTACHED.

After looking at it many times, I had this picture in my mind about a sail boat on a lake.  I remember while growing up, that I had a friend who's family got a sail boat while we were in high school.  He told a story about he and his older sister, going out and sailing on a lake. One thing that he did, and he told her he was going to do it, was to show her what it looked like to get blown over and what to do to avoid it.

That "picture" was in my head as I looked deeper into this verse.  I thought about being in a sail boat, out on a lake as a BIG wind comes up.  Such strong wind that it is physically tough to hold on.  Every muscle in your body is strained...tight...doing everything you can to not capsize.  You hurt...physically hurt...you are tired...it's difficult...trying to not let go.

In this situation, how many know that it would be much easier to let go, instead of holding on?  You just want relief.

Think about working out...lifting weights...how when you are going through it, it's tough...it hurts...but the relief you feel when you are done.

But on a lake, in a sail boat, if you let go, it could mean harm, injury, and possibly worse.

This encouragement to us has to do with how we deal with the "storms of life" that come on us.  We are just out "sailing through life" when all of a sudden, the wind shifts and a "storm" arises.  The instruction is to NOT LET GO TO WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN!  

And....HOLD ON AS IF YOU ARE ATTACHED.

NEVER.GIVE.UP!

What you are going through....I'm not saying it's easy....remember, the "wind" is blowing and it's much easier to "let go of the rudder" then it would be to "hold on, as if you are attached."

As you hold on, remember the HE who promised is faithful.  

HOLD ON in your BEST YEAR YET and NEVER GIVE UP!