LAUNCH OUT JUST ONE MORE TIME

Hi All

I get daily emails from NEW THING MINISTRIES and wanted to share this specific one with you all:

Today I was watching a TV segment about a man who had battled cancer for 10 years. Understandably, he was weary of the battle. He didn't want to take any further chemo or be hospitalized another time - he wanted to let the cancer take its course.

Those he loved and who loved him, begged him to try one more time. He replied that he was afraid. They asked him what he was afraid of and he said he was afraid to hope again. You see, he had hoped so many times, for ten years, only to find disappointment. He no longer wanted to hope.

The Bible says disappointment makes the heart sick. I know that to be true. I too, have battled and stood against disappointment many times in my walk with God. Even recently, there was a situation that had disappointed me over and over and over - yet, I felt God kept telling me to continue to believe.

Often times when I minister or speak behind a pulpit, I will look out into the faces of those attending and what I see makes me so sad. Most faces look weary and worn down, they often look defeated. It should not be this way in the Body of Christ. We are citizens of the Kingdom of God - all things are provided for us and we have a hope of a wonderful future in God. Yet every day, I see friend after friend with unanswered prayer - struggling to keep hoping.

Abraham was a man of hope. The Bible says He hoped against hope. What does that mean? It means when there was absolutely no reason for hoping that what God had promised would come to pass - he hoped on anyway. And Abraham saw every single thing God told him come to pass - as it always is with God.

Moses, he too hoped against hope. When it looked like they would all be slaughtered on this side of the Red Sea - he continued to trust God and obey what He said. In doing that - they all made it to the other side and not only that - but every single enemy was destroyed.

We see in the New Testament another who hoped against hope. Remember when Jesus told Peter to launch out into the deep? Peter said 'but Lord, I have already done that - frankly, I have been doing that all day and night and I have caught nothing, not one single fish, I am tired and weary, I am ready to call it a night.' Yet Peter, knowing the power of Jesus' word declared, 'nevertheless, at Thy word, I will launch out one more time.'

Peter, as we know, launched out and brought in a huge haul - so large that he had to get another boat to help him bring it in.

Let me ask you this; what if Peter had said 'Lord, I have already tried, I know I should trust You but I am just too tired to give it one more try, perhaps tomorrow.' What do you think would have happened? I will tell you, he would have missed the largest haul of his life - that's what.

Oh I know weariness comes - it comes to all of us. But don't miss your moment, as Judy Jacobs would say - don't miss your moment of launching out into the deep one more time. Don't miss the moment of seeing with your eyes the biggest haul of your life. Don't miss your moment. Never ever stop believing - what God showed you in the beginning has not changed - it is still there for the taking but it is according to your faith.

If you have grown weary in believing - trust one more time. If you are tired from the battle - purpose in your heart that you will fight one more time - only God knows what that one more time will bring. Choose to trust - choose to hope against hope. Choose to believe the word of God REALLY IS the final answer.

Yes, the Bible says disappointment makes the heart sick - but it doesn't stop there - it goes on to say 'but when the promise comes it is the tree of life.' The tree of life - sustenance to last the rest of your days. Something you can eat from every single day, every month of the year. The promise does come. Allow patience to have it's perfect work in you - in the end you will be whole, lacking nothing.

Go ahead - launch out one more time. Trust one more time. And bring in your haul.


Kim Potter