God Is No Quitter

1 Nephi 7:14

For behold, the Spirit of the Lord ceaseth soon to strive with them [at Jerusalem]; for behold, they have rejected the prophets, and Jeremiah have they cast into prison. And they have sought to take away the life of my father, insomuch that they have driven him out of the land.

I can drive righteousness from me by my choices, and I can hold it at bay by my stubborn rebellion. I can become so hardened that the Spirit of God must flee from me. If I were to persist in such a state to the very end, I would lose all hope. The glorious message of Christ, however, is that if I will turn around, I will find that He has been right behind me all along. I am never beyond his reach if I choose to seek him.

God has great patience, but He can judge when men are hardened beyond reach. He expelled Lucifer when He knew he could not be turned. Men can likewise become so determined to choose evil that their time of probation is wasted. Rather than let such evil corrupt the next generation, He may even destroy them.

The good news is that the spirit of God does strive with me as long as I am willing to be persuaded. To strive means to make a great effort and to struggle vigorously. God puts His best effort into me to save me. I am not easy to deal with, however. Yet He willingly strives with me to bring me to Him, to convince me to obey, to humble me to repent. His love for me is powerful. He does not give up easily. 


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