Always remember
God never gives up on you

The latest work from the greatest storyteller, Max Lucado!
Towards us who have repeatedly deviated from His will
Yet, the story of his persistent love that never stops

Max Lucado, the greatest storyteller of our time, presents his latest work, "The God Who Never Gives Up on Me," through the story of Jacob, conveying the message of a God who "nevertheless" lives.
The Jacob portrayed in the Bible is more like a prodigal son than a great hero of faith.
Jacob went against God's will several times.
I lied to my brother, I lied to my father, and I ran away.
I was not grateful for the blessings He gave me, and I did not seek His will when I faced difficulties.
But God did not give up on his love for Jacob.
He truly showed persistent love.

The author says that if God used Jacob to accomplish His plan, God will not abandon us and will use us, even though we are lacking in some way, just like Jacob.
If we realize His grace and love that pursues us like a persistent pursuer, we will not be disappointed in our present state, but will rise again and move toward God, even if we walk with a limp, because of God's love that does not abandon us.

God still reaches out to you
Enjoy the grace of God that holds you until the end!

The protagonist was not Jacob.
God was the main character.

It was God who provoked Jacob, not Jacob who sought God.
It was God who moved Jacob, not Jacob who moved God.

It was God who intervened, not Jacob who asked for help.


Jacob repented.
That's right.

But he did so only after God called his name.

God did not just provoke Jacob,
He reminded him of his new name and the promise he had made to him.


Jacob repeatedly forgot God,
God never once forgot Jacob.

God, who promised blessings, blessed them,
He confirmed once again that Jacob had become Israel.


It is grace.
Everything is by grace.

Wouldn't you like to enjoy that grace too?
--- From the text

There are no shortcuts to God.
Not a single one.
God's accelerator doesn't need your feet.
God's plan doesn't need our help.
If God had wanted to bless Jacob, Jacob would have certainly received the blessing.
There was no need for Rebekah to arrange things.
Jacob didn't need to deceive them.
If God wanted Jacob to play that role, it was already a done deal.

--- p.42

Because they do not realize the presence of God, their faith is 'I believe'.
God has spoken to you, and is still speaking to you! He invites you to look to Him and rely on Him.
There He is! From the top of the ladder, He sends His angels to help you, and He receives your prayers as they are conveyed.

--- p.58

God certainly hears our prayers.
He does not reject our prayers.
I was right to pray for my father.
Asking God for help is obedience.
But you have to be careful.
Prayer is not asking God to do what we want.
It is trusting that God will do what is best.

--- p.79

God gives life through brokenness.
He gives through broken homes, broken hearts, broken dreams, and broken people.
We are under pressure and we crack.
As in , we too succumb to self-destructive desires.
Like Jacob, we too conspire and control evil.
Who would want to use a broken vessel? Yet, God wants that broken vessel.
That grace never ceases.

--- p.112

Instead of grumbling about those who annoy you, see them for who they are: God's training tools.
God teaches you to trust in Him.

--- p.128

This story is not about Jacob's heroism.
It is a story about “the unwavering commitment of Almighty God to love humanity and to carry out His plan through flawed people.”
God helped Jacob face his past and led him into his future.
Don't we need the same help?
--- p.160

You cannot get over your past without God's help.
Without God, you would justify, deny, avoid, or repress the past.
But with God's help, you can move forward.
Now is the time to do so.
God will grant you the greatest blessings.

--- p.163

When God is not sought, when the new nature is suppressed, when society submits to no one higher than itself, the result is chaos.
We become savages and victimize the weak.
Breaking hearts, homes, covenants and promises.

--- p.175

God is wooing and pursuing you.
If you don't like God, you can reject Him or ignore Him.
For the time being, you can stay in the stench of Shechem.
But God will not give up.
Didn't God promise to lead you home? Has He ever broken a promise? Never in your lifetime will that happen.
This is God's message, a powerful promise of grace.

--- p.192

“Jacob, your story is my story.
Your life speaks to those of us who have struggled, failed, and fallen.
“The grace you urge us to believe in is so wonderful, so compelling, and so conscience-stricken that it would be foolish to reject it.”

--- p.198