Here is an excerpt from this morning's message...
When Jesus says, “it is finished,” notice he does not say, “I am finished.” He says, “it is finished.” What do you think the “it” is that he is talking about? Do you think he could be talking about the battle? The suffering? The struggle?
Jesus knew that there will come a time when “Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away (Revelation 21:4).”
If that’s where you are right now, then I thought it would be helpful to have a reminder that there will come a day when the difficulty, the suffering, the struggle will all come to an end. My favorite words in scripture are not even an entire verse. They are just a part of a verse. They are just 4 words. Here they are: “This too shall pass...”
There is an ancient legend that is attributed to King Solomon. One day Solomon wanted to teach his most trusted advisor a little humility. So, he went to him and said, “There is a certain ring that I want you to bring me. It has magic powers. If a happy man looks at it, he becomes generous, and if a sad man looks at it, he becomes joyful.”
Months went by and his advisor could find no such ring. One morning he decided to take a walk in one of the poorest quarters of Jerusalem. He passed by a merchant who was beginning to set out the day’s wares. On a whim, he asked, “Have you by any chance heard of a magic ring that makes the happy wearer generous and the broken-hearted wearer forget their sorrows?”
The old man took a plain gold ring from his carpet and engraved something on it. When the advisor read the words on the ring, his face broke out in a wide smile.
That night the advisor presented the ring to King Solomon. As soon as Solomon read the inscription, he knew his advisor had gotten the better of him. Would you like to know what four words the merchant had inscribed on the ring? “This too shall pass...”
If you are thinking of giving up on something this morning. Ask yourself, “Is it of God?” If it is not, then you probably shouldn’t have started it in the first place. If it is of God, then hang in there.
If it is of God, hang in there. It may be a project that you have let go. It may be circumstances that you are struggling. I may be a relationship. It may be a person. It may be as big as life itself.
If you are wondering whether you are done yet, did you know that there is an easy test? Hold you hand up in front of your face. Take a couple of deep breaths. Do you feel anything? If you do, you are not done yet. As long as you are breathing, there is still more to be done.