"Please Don't Give Up"

“In 1965 a divorced mother of two, found a classified ad offering a restaurant for sale. She mortgaged her house to purchase the restaurant, the original Chris's steakhouse. In 1976 a fire forced her to relocate. Under the original purchase agreement, the name "Chris Steak House" could not be used at any other location, and she did not want to lose customers already familiar with the Chris name.’

Have you ever been to a point in your life where you want to throw in the towel? Ever wonder what you have done wrong or why things have not worked out? Well you are in good company. The story above is about a woman who could have easily given up. When you spend a lot of years in something and it is taken away you have come to a real crossroads. You can choose to become bitter or better. This thing could be a business, a spouse, a child or even your health. You wonder how you can go on or even if you should. But it is at these times that you finally get to see who you really are.

God knows our heart and He knows everything about us. But He desires for us to know our own heart. We can find out a few things in moments in triumph but we find out everything about ourselves in times of despair with loss of hope and no where to go. That is no where to go but the Lord.

Romans 5:3-5 “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

“Sufferings” can do a lot of things to us. God allows sufferings for refining but most of all “Hope”; His Hope. We will never”Get It” tell our hope is in Jesus. We will never get this life until we realize that the refiners fire won’t work in luxury, it will only work when the chips are down with no where else to go but Jesus. We will never “Get It” until we have been in the bottom of the pit with no where to look but up. And we will never get it unless God has called us. Unless He has chosen us to be His child and has pulled our heart strings to Him. Today if you are down and out with no where to go REJOICE because God is doing a great work in you. You can’t build something great that was imperfect unless you tear it down and start over. Some of you today may feel like you have been torn down BUT God will start over and His glory will be revealed in you.

DON’T GIVE UP HOPE ON JESUS.

Oh, back to our story of this little restaurant. Mrs. Ertel who bought’ Chris’s Steak House” really had no where to go either. She sold everything to fulfill a dream and now this dream was up in ashes. But at times when things are the bleakest, when there is no money in your checking account God is the One who wants you to know who got the job done for you. God desires our glory and our praise. So Mrs. Ruth Ertel decided to use her first name ahead of Chris’s Steak House. Her attorneys checked it out and that was cleared to use. She already had a good following of people. So “Ruth Chris Steak House” was born and then franchised. It is now the largest luxury steak house in the country. Wikipedia

If you feel defeated today all you have to know is that God knows. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6 This may be the day that things turn around so DON’T GIVE UP. Just look up and stop looking downcast. God is at work!!!!! He will not let you fall.

Have a great day with hope in the Lord of the great things He can do.

Brad