Hosanna Restoration Church

Do you ever wonder why when they knew they had lost that the Pharisees didn’t just give up and follow Jesus? We do know that some of them did in fact choose to follow Jesus, but most of them did not. Why did they keep resisting when it is obvious who had won. It is like gambler thinking the next bet will even the score, but usually it just gets worse.

It is because we have an enemy that wants us to lose with him. The devil knows that he has lost, but he won’t give up. He is determined to cause as much misery and pain as he can to people by convincing them to follow his ways. Oh He loves to see Christians give up, get depressed, full of fear, and doubt, but he does not want them to give up on these things and just trust the Lord. Oh no. Just about the time that a person starts to think they should quit trying things in their own strength, he stirs up some lie that stops them just short of trusting God completely. He does this to those who do not know the Lord as well as to those who have known the Lord for a long time.

No, we cannot blame the devil for everything, especially when he only gives us the idea. We are the ones who make the choices. He is good at what he does, but we are the ones who resist the Holy Spirit. All I can say to that is, “God help us to give up and trust.”

What will it take for us to give up our own directions and follow Him in all things? What will it take to convince us that He knows about everything and that we can trust Him? Why is it easier for us to doubt than it is to simply believe God. Why when we do believe, do we quit before we receive?

I would say it is because Jesus offers a choice and does not try to coerce us. Satan on the other hand comes with wave upon wave of things to make us feel like his is the only choice. John 12:37 tells us that despite all the miraculous signs that Jesus had done, most of the people did not believe in Him. That is why Jesus encouraged us to yoke up with Him and quit struggling. That is why we don’t want to ignore or forget the miracles that the Lord does in our lives. Remember, killing Lazarus could not change what Jesus had done.

We must recognize the tactics of the devil and not let him convince us to resist the Spirit of God. When we are aware that our doubts and fears have brought us to the point of giving up, instead of going our own way, lets give in and follow Jesus. Ephesians assures us that God has given us everything we need to succeed in Christ Jesus. The quicker we give up on our own thoughts and ways, the quicker we join Jesus in always pleasing God. There is nothing wrong with the easy way when it is the right way. Remember, the devil lost and Jesus is the winner. Always follow Jesus.