When I Feel Like Giving Up

In Hebrews 11:39-40, it says, “All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.” (NLT)

It’s not easy to live by faith. We live in a broken world. The weather doesn’t work right. Our bodies don’t work right. Our relationships don’t work right.

When God sent Adam out of Eden, he told Adam that life would be hard. And it is. There’s a cosmic battle for life going on inside of and outside of me. I battle with my own sinful nature. I also battle against Satan himself, who wants nothing more than to “steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10 NLT).

And sometimes it just gets to me. I just want to give up.

But in Hebrews 11, God urges us to hang on because he hasn’t forgotten us and will fulfill his promises one day. He promises to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). He promises to take away our tears (Revelation 7). And he gives us multiple other promises throughout his Word.

Hebrews 11 mentions a variety of biblical heroes who demonstrated faith in God’s promises—Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Rahab, Moses, David, Gideon, Samson, and others. Though they endured many difficulties, they kept going on their spiritual journeys.

Hebrews 11:39-40 says, “All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us” (NLT).

I can trust in God’s promises. I should never give up!

Hebrews 11 has been called faith's hall of fame. No doubt the author surprised his readers by this conclusion: These mighty Jewish heroes did not receive all that God had promised because they died before Christ came. In God's plan, they and the Christian believers (who were also enduring much testing) would be rewarded together. Once again Hebrews shows that Christianity offers a better way than Judaism. There is a solidarity among believers. Old and New Testament believers will be glorified together. Not only are we one in the body of Christ with all those alive, but we are also one with all those who ever lived. It takes all of us to be perfect in him.