9.5.16

 
 
 
 
Devotional for Monday, September 5, 2016
“The Determined and Persevering Heart”
 
Determination
 
 
by Dona Hake
 
 

“When you get into a tight place and everything goes against

you until it seems as though you could

not hold on a minute longer, never

give up then, for that is just the time

and place that the tide

will turn.”

 
Harriet Beecher Stowe
 
 
 
 

I love this quote. It makes me wonder how many times that I have given up on something or someone just when the tide was ready to turn. Determination is when you come to a decision or you fix yourself on a purpose, and nothing is going to hold you back.  

 
 
 
 
I cannot help but think of Peter as he stepped out of the boat upon the Lord’s command. “Come Peter!” I can only imagine what was going through Peter’s mind as he looked down and saw himself walking on the water. His faith was at work and he was defying the impossible. Yet when his mind became focused on the wind, waves and the turbulent storm, he began to sink. Jesus reached out His hand to Peter, took a firm hold and kept him above water. The thing that always hit me the hardest with this account was that Peter was only an arm’s reach away from Jesus. Peter was almost there but circumstances caused his heart to weaken in faith and determination.
 
 

How many times are we just an arm’s reach away from the finish line of success in that which we are setting ourselves. The tide may be about to turn and our heart loses courage.    May we learn from this.   We must apply faith, perseverance, and determination to all we set ourselves to do. As we fix our eyes on Jesus with determination and faith in our hearts, He will enable us to do the impossible. It is as we do this that we can share the testimony of what we learned in our accomplishment to those that need this same word of encouragement!

 
 

 

 
 

“And let us not get tired of doing what is right, for

after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up.”

Galatians 6:9 TLB