Don’t Hold Back in 2025!

Vernon Rowland - dragster burn out

We’ve all heard the saying, “Most people who quit and walked away from a goal would be shocked if they knew how close they were to success.” Ecclesiastes, no doubt, instructs that ‘there is a time to persevere and a time to cease laboring at a thing.’ But having acknowledged The Preacher’s wisdom, the admonition to not give up too quickly should never be ignored. The harsh reality is that which impedes one’s success at a thing is most regularly self. This principle holds in the things of God’s kingdom. For all the blame we lay on the Devil, usually, he has little to do with our sins and spiritual failings. James, the Lord’s half-brother, wrote about this regarding prayer when he penned, “You have not because you ask not, and when you ask you desire only to consume to satisfy your lusts” (James 4:1-4). No wonder he refers to them as “Adulterers and Adulteresses.” But my purpose here is not to take on the prophetic tone of James, but more like the ‘voice of the beggar who tells another where food may be found.’ 

This Advent we worked through the messianic theme of ‘comfort’ in the Book of Isaiah. If you couldn’t attend this Christmas, I encourage you to listen to all five of these studies on our YouTube Channel: cogginschurch@youtube.com . One of the main features in Isaiah we emphasized was that though God announced coming judgment for the sins arrogantly committed against Him, He followed all such warnings with profound promises of His love and plan for His covenant people. 

Isaiah uses“Awake, Awake” several times in an inspired play on words. When these are compared, a powerful, life-changing message appears. The first time we read “Awake! Awake!” it is spoken from the mouths of God’s people to Him (Is. 51:9). They are crying out to God to wake up from sleep and come speedily to help them. Don’t misunderstand, this is not the cry of faith, but of accusation. God’s people feel like God is idle, not protecting them, and not working on their behalf — not keeping His covenant. They believe this because of the tragedy they are experiencing as a nation. 

Then we read the commands twice more: “Awake! Awake!” (Is. 51:17;52:1,11). The difference, and the message, this time becomes hauntingly clear. This time God speaks. The Lord speaks through Isaiah in reply to Israel and Judah’s accusation that He has not blessed them. God returns the cry to His covenant people, saying, in essence: ‘You are the ones who sleep and are in dire need to awaken to the covenant promises given you.’ You see, God’s people already had His presence, power, and future blessings in His covenant. It was they who had neglected Him, not He that neglected them. 

Beloved, what may we take away from this for the coming year of 2025? I take from this, and I encourage you to do this as well, that we must stop allowing our sins, lack of faith and trust, and our love for self to keep us from experiencing the success that our Lord Jesus Christ has for us. Paul reminded the Corinthian Christians that all of the promises of God, in Jesus Christ, are ‘yes and amen’ (2 Cor. 1:20). Let’s pursue His best for Coggins this year — together. 

Serving Him Together, 

Pastor Scott     

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