Never, Never, Never!!!

     Recently, my dear husband and I went to view the movie about Sir Winston Churchill entitled "Darkest Hour".  It was an excellent representation of the crisis which the British faced as France was being invaded by Germany.  As Churchill took the reigns of the country as Prime Minister, there were some hoping he would fail to be an adequate leader so they could remove him and take over the government.  The story of the challenges he faced when he took over in May of 1940 was riveting, and the speeches he gave roused the people to action.  He was the man for the job though some did not care for him.

Buckingham Palace in London

     One of his speeches given to his former school (Harrow) in October of 1940 is perhaps the most famously quoted message of all time.  It came in the middle of his address and goes like this:  " "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense."  This is what he believed and what he acted on, and propelled him to success in defending his nation.  
     As a Christian, I think it is easy for us to become so discouraged that we want to give up in the struggles we face.  Whether illness, circumstances or relationships, there will always be challenges as long as we walk in the fallen world.  Certainly Sir Winston Churchill did not have an easy life or an easy leadership position.  He faced opposition from his political foes, and he was confronted by the possibility that England would be the next country to be invaded by Germany.  What a weight he carried on his shoulders!  Yet in the fire, he came out as the right man at the right time for his country.  God had a plan all along.
      Isaiah 40:28-31 reminds us that we have a resource that can keep us going when we feel weak:  "
Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
    and his understanding no one can fathom.
29 He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,

    they will walk and not be faint.
These are words of hope for all who believe in Christ.  When we cannot go on, He is there to pick us up.  We have all seen the strength in the flight of the eagle, but did you know that an eagle also catches its young on their outstretched wings when they are teaching them to fly?  God likens Himself to an eagle (Exodus 19:4) and He is there to catch us when we think we cannot go on.
     An article in the Sunday paper about the Winter Olympics caught my attention.  They interviewed Scott Hamilton on how he won a gold medal in figure skating many years ago.  He stated that he fell 41,600 times and got up 41,600 times.  That is how you win...you never give up.  I was touched by that as Scott Hamilton has also had to do battle with cancer.  He has never given up, and we must not either.  
     No matter what comes our way, no matter the odds we face, we must trust in the Lord for He is sovereign and has promised to never leave nor forsake us.  He is our eagle who will bear us up when we start to fall.  As Winston Churchill famously told those students, we must never, never, never give up!  To God be the glory as we walk in His strength!  Selah!