Please Don't Give Up On Me
by Barbara Chadwick


At my sister's house in San Pedro, California there is a pretty lawn of green grass in front. One day as I walked up the front steps I noticed the grass was tall, uneven and shabby. The next day the gardener was working away when I got there, cutting and pruning. He loves his work and the result was beautiful. It got me to thinking.

I want to be a joyful, radiant Christian, a channel of God's blessing to others. I have every intention of reflecting the beauty of Christ's love in words and actions and I start out pretty well. But in the daily girnd of life or shall we say the Reality Show Of Life...

-  someone shouts unkind words to me (even if the decibels are not high, it sounds and feels like a shout)
- a driver cuts me off on the freeway almost causing me to wreck
- the boss doesn't see my potential and gives the project to someone whose work is inferior

Oh that my actions would consistently reflect Your decrees! Psalms 119:5 Don't you just love David? When I read the psalms I am constantly reminded of the inadequacy of me. In verse 8b David says,
Please don't give up on me!
V. 11 I have hidden Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
V. 15 I will study Your commandments and reflect Your ways.
V. 16 I will delight in Your decrees and not forget Your Word.

Please don't give up on me when:
- my actions do not reflect one who claims to belong to Christ
- my words do not bring joy but rather pain
- my steps lead me on a path away from You
- my thoughts are not pure
- I don't obey Your commandments (John 15:10-11)
- I retaliate in anger.
- I am arrogant and proud or scornful

I want to cut shabby words out of my vocabulary. I want to prune the attitudes and actions that do not produce beauty or reflect God's grace.

One of our grandson's other grandfather began teaching him new words from the day he began to speak. One day when he was three he got frustrated and said, "I'm trying to co-operate!" A big word indeed for a toddler.  There are days when I feel like this. I'm trying to cooperate with the Lord, trying to listen to His voice, trying to follow His mandates when it seems like everything I do or say is opposite to what I intend. Paul said it well in Romans 7:21-25  When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Lord Jesus, I do love Your Word. I want it to show in my life. Please don't give up on me because
I'm trying to co  operate!