A boxer gets in the ring after he has prepared himself, trained himself, and studied his opponent—knowing and understanding that he has twelve rounds to complete in order to win the prize. His opponent might be throwing blows at him left and right in hopes to land him in hot water.  The fighter’s love for the sport and his passion for the game, gives him the focus and the strength he needs to push through the pain, through the hurt, through the wounds, and through the discomfort.  When the bell rings, his coach takes him to his corner to work on him, to dress up the cuts and wounds he acquired in that round. When the bell rings again, Come Hell or High Water, he’s got to get back in the ring for another round.  He can’t stop until the fight is over or until his opponent is down.

I can recall the story in the Bible, when all the people of Israel journeyed from the wilderness, based on the commandant of the Lord, and pitched their tents in Rephidim.  When they got there—by God’s direction, they learned that there was no water to drink.  Sounds like a set-up, right?  But, trusting that God had not led them in the wilderness to let them die, Moses cried out to the Lord for help.  God heard Moses and told him to smite the rock and God provided, from the rock,  the water they needed.

Then came Amalek to fight with Israel.  So, Joshua followed the plan to fight back, as God had said to Moses.  While the people fought, Moses climbed on top of the hill taking with him Aaron and Hur, with the rod of God in his hand.

Here’s the thing, when Moses’ hand got heavy and began to fall—the people of Israel would start losing the battle.  So, Aaron and Hur found a stone and placed it under him to stay his hand.  See, as long as his hand was up, and he was holding God’s rod—Israel prevailed.  The three men didn’t give up, they did what was necessary to win that battle.  They could have said—I’m tired—I quit—I can’t continue on—pack it up—Amalek won.  They could have given up, but they didn’t, and God again provided them with the strength they needed to continue on in the fight.  He did it for them and He will do the same for us.

As Christians, we must gain heart to finish the fight.  We can’t continue to run, cry, and pout every time things don’t necessarily go our way.  We can’t walk out or walk off the assignment or task because it’s getting harder.  No, we must dust ourselves off, rest when the bell rings, and allow the Lord, our Coach, to mend our wounds and wipe our brow.  Truth is , we’ve gone too far already, and it would be a shame to give up now!  Come Hell or High Water, we must continue in the ring until we bring down the thing that’s fighting us.

Continue on, Come Hell or  High Water until the task is finished, and the prize is won.  Don’t give up, don’t give in—Come Hell or High Water, stay till the end.  For God will give you what you need to finish—to win!  (Read Exodus 17; Philippians 3: 13-14; 1 Timothy 6:12 kjv)