Paul

Before meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul hated anyone who believed Jesus was the Messiah. He arrested them, persecuted them, and approved of their deaths. After discovering the truth, he gave his life to spread the gospel.

I would love to tell you everything becomes easy when you give your life to the Lord, but that is not the case. During his life, Paul was whipped five times by the Jews, beaten with rods three times, stoned once, shipwrecked three times, in danger from bandits, went hungry, was out in the cold with no clothing, bitten by a snake, arrested multiple times and chained to a guard around the clock. In one of his letters to the Corinthians, he wrote that he worked harder, had been in prison more often, had been flogged more severely, and was exposed to death more times than anyone there. Regardless of his tremendous pain and misery, Paul never gave up. He depended on Christ’s power to get him through his trials.

Don't Give Up.

Are you in the middle of a trial, and it just seems too difficult to continue? These three simple words are for you - don’t give up. There will be days when the storm seems too powerful and days when you do not know if you can take one more step. Lean on God in those moments. You might think God will not give you more than you can handle, but that is untrue. He gives strength to keep going, the power to overcome, and the grace to bring you everlasting glory. God does not promise there will be no storms, but He does promise to walk through those storms with His arms wrapped tightly around you.