Paul writes, ‘Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up’ (v. 9 NLT). Look at Job the patriarch: attending the funerals of his ten children, losing his health and wealth in a single day, and listening to a wife with a tongue sharp enough to cut through steel. Yet he didn’t give up. Learn from him! ‘You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord’ (James 5:11 NKJV). Job stayed focused on the end goal and endured the immediate circumstances.

Yes, there are times when giving up looks good, defeat seems inevitable, and retreat appears to be your only option. The question is, how will you handle those times? On the threshold of the promised land, God told Joshua, ‘Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go’ (Joshua 1:9 NKJV).

The Israeli statesman David Ben-Gurion observed: ‘Courage is a special kind of knowledge, the knowledge of how to fear what ought to be feared and how not to fear what ought not to be feared. From this knowledge comes an inner strength that inspires us to push on in the face of great difficulty. What can seem impossible is often possible with courage.’

And where does this courage come from? Knowing God is ‘with you wherever you go’. Why does the Bible record the failures of people like Peter and David? To let you know that when you fail – you can start again!