Exposition
It isn’t the size of the man, but the size of the heart in the man. The price of victory is high, and so are rewards. Winners never quit, and quitters never win, finish well. In our opening Scripture, King Solomon was saying something out of the coaches’ manual. He was saying that it isn’t always the strongest guy or the fastest guy that wins in life. He made an observation that, to be a winner, you don’t have to give up; you just won’t give in, no matter how hard the race gets in life.
Let’s consider two people in Scripture who didn’t give up when the odds were against them. Noah was instructed to make an ark. This seems like such a simple statement but it was a monumental task. Noah was to build this ark, a giant boat to save his family from a flood.
Here are some lessons we learn from Noah’s life.
Firstly, he was assigned a very arduous task but he did exactly what God told him to do even though he didn’t understand what he was building. This is the first step of a winner, doing exactly what God asks you to do. Even though Noah was ridiculed for it, he understood the one who had asked him to build it.
Secondly, he never gave up, the story of Noah isn’t about the ability to build, but the ability to keep on building. I am sure he felt like giving up, and I am sure there were many trials along the way. But he realized, at the end, that it’s better to be shut in with God than be shut out. He desired God in his life more than friends, popularity and acceptance in this world. I am sure people tried to talk him out of the task, and the devil tried to discourage him.
The second person is Job, whose story also depicts a winner. He had just lost everything: his prosperity, his family, everything he had in this world, but instead of getting bitter, he got better. Even though he was reduced to nothing, he understood that starting over with God was better than starting over without him. He realised his blessing wasn’t the things God gave him, but God Himself was the blessing.
He praised God in the hard times, so that he could praise God in the good times. Job got a double portion because he didn’t give up. Winners never quit and quitters never win, Finish Well.