By Andrea Merrell
Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened that it cannot save;
nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.
Isaiah 59:1 NKJV
A certain family member has been out of my life
for years. I have no contact with him, but it breaks my heart to know that he
does not believe in the God I love and serve. Many previous conversations with
him about the Lord have only gotten me this: “That’s so good for you. I’m very
proud of you, it’s just not for me. I’m doing fine.”
Some have said, “Let it go. He’s too hardhearted,
too far gone …”
But I keep praying.
When my son and daughter were caught up in a scary
lifestyle of drugs and alcohol, they appeared to be “too far gone” as well. But
I kept praying and believing, and God answered. He delivered and restored them.
There’s always hope. No one is ever too far gone.
I once had a poster with a picture of a large rock with a single flower growing
through a small crack. It read, No heart is so hard that God’s love can’t
break through.
The psalmist wrote about himself, “So many are
saying, ‘God will never rescue him’” (Psalm 3:2 NLT). But David wasn’t
discouraged, and he didn’t listen to popular opinion. Instead, he cried, “But
you, O Lord are a shield around me. You are my glory, the one who holds my head
high” (vs. 3).
Maybe you’ve been praying for someone for years.
The skeptics and naysayers might try to discourage you, telling you that you’re
wasting your time. It’s too late. There’s no point. But our God is a God of miracles.
He is faithful, and His Word is true.
Whatever you do, don’t stop praying.
Good Morning Andrea. This devotion reminded me of a book I read by Charles Martin called Long Way Gone. I don't know if you have ever read his work, but he is one of my most favorite Christian authors. The best part of this book was Charles' message after the story was over. Basically, the same words you use. "No gone is too far gone." Thanks for sharing this. I have instances in my life where I have seen God change people after many years and tons of prayer. Your message of never giving up is so important today for all of us. Blessings to you.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sheryl. This is so encouraging. I've only read one Charles Martin book, many years ago. He is a fabulous writer. My biggest lesson on never giving up came when both my children were prodigals. It took years of prayer, but God was ... and is ... so faithful. Blessings! :)
DeleteSuch an encouraging post, Andrea. It is so easy to become discouraged and listen to the voice of doubt when praying for someone that doesn't want to listen to God. But God is bigger than doubt and the voices of reason. Thank you for reminding us that God never gives up on us!
ReplyDeleteThere's a popular song that says even when we don't see or feel it, God is working ... He never stops working. That keeps me motivated to keep on praying. He restored my prodigal children and saved a friend of ours whose wife of twenty-seven years thought he was born again. Thanks so much for your comment. Blessings! :)
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