Tired of Being a Mule — David Wilkerson

Sir To it go to Psalms first. Psalms 32. Psalms 32. Psalms 32nd chapter will go to Exodus later. Psalms 32. Praise the Lord. Now don't forget tonight. It's six o 'clock and then Tuesday night at seven o 'clock.

What a glorious meeting we're having on Tuesday night. It is family night. It's just marvelous. Don't forget. Those services, please. You know what the best thing about coming to Times Square Church is that When Jesus comes it doesn't stop.

We're going to keep right on going. We're going to we're going to know each other and enjoy each other all through eternity. I'd feel pretty bad if I only if the pastors if we pastors got to love and know you only through time.

Divine Guidance in Psalm 32

The joy of pastoring is we get to love you all through eternity and and share that great love. Hallelujah tired of being a mule. Psalms 32 verse 8 and 9. I was struck thee. Verse 8 I was struck thee and teach thee in the way, which thou shall go.

I will guide thee with mine eye. Be not as the horse be not as the mule. Which hath no Understanding whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle lest they come nigh unto thee and in the original means.

Because they won't come near to you have to get the bit and bridle go chase them. They won't even come near you have to fight for them Lord. I pray for your blessing on the service this morning or rather on the message this morning.

Lord it's been a hectic week a funeral of Grandma and so many things that our family and yet we sense your presence your quickening power. And we love you this morning more than we've ever loved you Holy Spirit come upon me from the top of my head to the soles of my feet.

Let the word of the Lord come quicken us. Oh God. Say something to our hearts this morning. We're hungry. We're ready to receive it Lord. We know that you gave it to us. You dropped it into our hearts now bless this day.

Bless the service this morning bless pastor Phillips tonight. And brother dawn on Tuesday and all the pastors of this church and the great work you're doing here in Times Square. Right in the middle of New York City.

We thank you for it in Jesus name. Amen. If you're here for the first time, there's a beautiful nursery right behind stage back in one of the rooms. You can go to the lobby and the ushers will show you where to go.

Thank you. Now in these two little verses that I've just read to you God is giving us one of the greatest lessons on guidance in the scripture. In fact, most of what I know about divine guidance and leading the Holy Spirit has come from these two chapters in verse 8 the Lord is really unburdening his heart to his children and He's giving us a promise that ought to be the foundation of all the guidance we have received from the Lord.

We need to build on verse 8. I will Instruct thee and teach thee in the way in which thou shall go. Now look this way, please if you read the context of this if you read the whole chapter. You'll find that this promise this wonderful promise of being get a guided and led by the very eye of God.

It's promised a very special people. You'll find that these people have been a forgiven people whose sin is covered. You'll find it in the preceding verses a people in whom there is no deceit. People who have the Lord's hand heavy upon them a godly people praying at a time that he may be heard.

These are hidden and preserved from all their troubles according to scripture. These are people of singing songs of deliverance. Now here's my point you can be all of that. You can have all these spiritual benefits and still be a mule.

When it comes to the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit in his strange leadings. You can be as stubborn as a mule and have no Understanding whatsoever of the principles of guidance and the leadings of the Holy Spirit.

Even though you're righteous no deceit in you godly and all of that. You can still be a mule about guidance and the leading of the Holy Spirit of Israel. God said Forty years long was I grieved with this generation and I said it's a people that do air in their hearts.

They've not known my ways. Now stop and think of what God is saying here. She's saying after 40 years of These people being led and guided so tenderly I Led them. I had a cloud by day a fire by night two silver trumpets.

One of the godliest leaders of all times and after years of detailed instruction Miraculous guiding they didn't have the slightest idea of the way I work. They never did understand my principles of guidance to them.

Guidance was just a series of Unrelated blessings open doors. Deliverances from one crisis after another all unrelated every time they got in a mess. They say Lord one more time. That's all that guidance was to Israel one more time Lord.

Get me out of this. That's where many of us are right now guidance is just another mess Lord. Get me out. Now I'm tired of being a mule about Some of these things of understanding how the Lord leads and the principles of divine guidance I don't want the Lord have to say to me after all these years.

And and I started preaching little sermonettes when I was about 12 13 and really preached around 17 years of age. And after all these years, you don't need to know how old I am right now. But after all these years, I don't want it said of me yes David you you.

You've got rid of your deceit you're forgiven. I've laid my hand heavy upon you you pray. I've hid you from trouble not delivered you in time of distress time and time again. I've led you in wonderful ways, but you've never learned my heart through it all you've never had a settled faith.

I've done so many things you've learned nothing from it. I don't want that said of me. The point of my message is this the very terms To lead or to guide. Suggest the Lord's taking us somewhere. It suggests that he has a goal in mind that he's leading us to a place and I won't do you some.

From Wilderness Leadings to Settled Rest

God doesn't lead You 40 years in circles. He doesn't lead you 40 years in circles. Every single leading of the children of Israel in the wilderness. Every word of direction they received every victory every deliverance was all related to a single divine Holy purpose of God to bring them to a certain place.

They were being brought into a place of trust. It was Canaan land for us. It's a type of a place of settled rest. From God's own mouth. We learned that is we'll learn Absolutely nothing from all their supernatural leadings.

Nobody was led more supernaturally than Israel and they learned absolutely nothing. The lessons were less. Were wasted they ended up as a mule headed children. They couldn't see beyond their present crisis.

They did not build their faith on past deliverances. All they wanted was a quick easy way out of their present dilemma. They wanted out that's all God said. I will guide thee with my eye. I'll guide you with my eye.

Now let me tell you something our Lord is never surprised by the trouble that hits us. He'd never troubled or blindsided by any crisis that comes into your life or mine. He knows the beginning from the end.

The scripture says for the Lord's portion is his people his inheritance. He found them in a desert land in a waste holly wilderness and he led them about he instructed them he kept Jacob as the apple of his eye and Then God went on to describe himself like this as an eagle.

Stir it up his own nest I and he's just cluttering or hanging over his young. Spreading abroad his wings over them. Taking them bearing them in his own on his own wings. So he did lead Israel and he let Israel's the apple of his eye.

Now the apple of I is very very very simple if you look into somebody, please don't do it now. But if you look close into somebody's eye, you'll see a little you in it. There's a little you and the apple means the little you.

There's a reflection of you. It's upside down. By the way, it's in the pupil of the eye. You'll you'll see yourself upside down. I Could call Bob over here right now, but make a. He wouldn't do it he looked so foolish but I look him right in the eye.

I'd see a little David upside down and What God is saying I'm keep use the apple my you're always the image in my eye. Everything around everything you're doing everything it happens. I see it. It's never out of my eye.

Now brother sister, that's the foundation of all Confidence in the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit. You have got to believe that you're the apple of his eye. You've got to believe that even though God has Thousands and millions of Christians his children all of them with crisis.

All of them with different problems. China, India Africa all over the United States right here in the church. Look around you how many people have problems and crisis? God is saying I want you to believe that you yes, you are the apple of my eye.

My eye is always on you. You are the little you you're the little one that's in my eye you're always there. Glory be to God. The Lord said he that touches you touches the apple of my eye and in the original Greek in the Hebrew.

You know original Hebrew. Nothing means he that touches you sticks his finger in my eye. You think for a minute God's gonna let anybody stick his finger in his eye when it comes to you and your problem never.

The Lord wasn't surprised when you lost your job. He wasn't blindsided. He's not blindsided when you had a sudden illness that came upon you that lump you found that sickness. We have a brother Shukr and our family of Times Square Church, he's a board member here of World Challenge and held of this church.

She's going to the hospital Monday. I want you to pray for him. He he's lost his equilibrium and and they're there. They they test for a tumor and we pray right now Lord. Jesus heal our dear brother. And that that the Lord will heal him at the test will come out, right?

But you see the Lord's never blindsided. He's never caught. Unaware in any of these things the scripture said behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him. Upon them that hope in his mercy. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous.

The scripture said his ears see it every precious thing. Hallelujah. Do you believe that you're the apple of his eye this morning? Do you believe that he sees everything from the beginning to the end that What you're going to right now didn't surprise the Lord when it came.

Everything that happens to us. He is not going to allow the enemy to ride over you. Now I can't explain how he does it. I can't explain how with all the millions of children on the face of this earth that I'm the apple of his eye.

That that we have a God so great and so mighty. That you're not to think of the whole world you're to think of him personally as you bring the apple of his eye. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. David said keep me as the apple of your eye hide me in the shadow of your wings.

Learning to Follow God Without the Bit and Bridle

Now I just read you the scripture in 30 Psalm 32 verse 9 be not as the mule without understanding. In other words don't make God be stern with you in this matter of guidance. Now you city people don't know much about mules,.

I'm a country boy. I Remember the first time I took Nikki Cruz and Israel and two other gang members out in New York City born and raised Puerto Rican New York never been in the country. We were out past Allentown and all of a sudden I heard a scream in the back.

There was a bunch of cows in the field and somebody back. See look I heard a buffalo. I want you to know mules a stubborn animal. And and they're not a country boy doesn't know what it is to get a bitten bridle go out and chase that mule in the Field because he did he only worked so much and when he's tired of work He sits you can build a fire under him.

He'll still sit and he sees you coming and he'll run and you've got to get that bitten bridle and get him and drag him. To do his work. Be not as the mule without understanding. He said I want to guide you not as a mule.

But I want to guide you just with the wink of my eye in the pictures King David sitting in his royal chamber and all of his counselors and his captains are gathered around him and They know him they studied him and they delight in doing his will and and they're talking the business of the kingdom and and They're discussing something and over this side is is one of his right-hand men so close to him and David is a nod.

And that man's out of the room. He knows or a wink and he knows he reads. He knows exactly what King David is saying. He's not a mule. He doesn't have to be chased. He's led by the Kings. I he's so intimate.

He's so close. He's been in his presence now. I want you to know that there are people that walk with God like that. They seek his face. They just know that knob they know that wink. God said I'll guide you with my eye.

You don't have to be chased down with bitten bridle. Because they spend time in His presence and he would rather lead us with his eye than with the bitten bridle. Now in all guidance. The Lord has two eternal purposes in view.

First of all, it's to gain the trust and confidence of his children. But you see that's where most of us stop. We've never actually and I don't think I've truly seen the second eternal purpose in divine guidance and that's to that God be exalted and honored before the wicked that he sets up a stage in our crisis a Scenario by which he can be glorified now explain that to you in the course of my message this morning.

Every leading in my life. It's meant to accomplish these two purposes. Now folks, I I want to share something. I believe the Holy Spirit gave me. I didn't get it from a book I got it on my knees. I don't think it's some great revelation.

But it's a simple revelation that is so helped me in this matter of guidance. Now we treat the Lord so disrespectfully it's terrible the way we treat our God when we Pray for guidance and we pray for leading in our life.

It's mostly with one purpose in mind. God get me out. Come on now Lord, just one more time deliver me God if I ever needed America, I need it now. Get me out of this Lord. I'll never doubt you again. We are absolutely consumed by our problem and our crisis.

We're consumed by it. We're convinced either that the devil is after us there's sin in our life and God's allowed the devil to come and try to purify us and Occasionally, that's that's the case. There are times that that God is testing our confidence and our faith in him.

But how many that are hearing me right now. Listen closely how many of you can look your problem right in the face? Look at your need of guidance and believe that the Lord is interested in more than just getting you out of the mess.

That God's trying to take you somewhere. That God's trying to build something in you of character. He's trying to bring you to a settled place. Now what good would it be for our children of what one of the children of Israel that have been 40 years in the desert.

To sit you down sit you down and begin to tell you about all the miracles. They'd tell you all about the ten great miracles They saw in Egypt. Tell you about how the Red Sea opened up. Tell you about the voice.

They heard the thundering voice at Sinai. Tell you how water came out of the rock. Every one of those Israelites could have written a miracle book on divine guidance. They could have told you God did this.

God did that what good would it have been? To sit down listen to all that it did them. No good. It was totally wasted. It didn't reach the ultimate goal. It didn't get them into a settled place. They didn't learn anything from it.

Because to their dying day they were still doubting him in their next crisis. What good it would do me to stand up here this morning and spend two or three hours. Telling you all the stories of miracles of how God saved me from one financial mess after another and he has.

There are times. I thought I was going down our ministry was going down. There were times I thought God did no way out. I've been at that Red Sea. I've seen God open doors. I've seen so many miracles.

I honestly could write a book as thick as this about the miracles I've seen God perform physically spiritually financially. But what good would it be for me to stand here and tell you all of that if in my very next crisis?

I doubted God and said Lord. Where are you? If I hadn't learned anything from it if I'd not even entered into the promised land that rest that settled confidence In God that he's able to see me through.

Listen, I want you to know that God's not interested in formulas. All these how-to books how to know the mind of God how to know the will of God burn him. Prop up your furniture with them do anything see.

God's not interested in you picking up a formula. He's interested in his ultimate purpose that God's divine ultimate purpose is that you and I? Build on every one of these experiences and and come to the place where you say, but this is not going to be.

Alright, God will get me out of this. I'm sure David could say he got me away from the lion. He got me away from this bear this Giants nothing. But that wasn't going to be the only thing he was going to stand in front of ziglag his whole family gone everything burn.

They're about to stone him and you know why he encouraged himself. He said there was a lion. There was a bear. There was a giant. He had a subtle place. He'd come in to a place in God of confidence. He built on every one of those experiences, I'm not interested in God just get me out of my present crisis.

You can testify about it. I'll tell you they're not a person here that had been delivered from one mess after another and yet. You're in another and you said Oh God. Where are you? Where are you? Where are you God?

You haven't learned anything yet. Oh Hallelujah boy. I feel this so strong in my heart if I face a present trial. I'm flustered and worried and I'm wondering if he's going to do it once more. I've learned absolutely nothing about his faithfulness.

God’s Guidance and His Judgment on the Enemy

All right. Now, let me talk to you about the second purpose of his Guidance. The second purpose is really the most powerful purpose and we have totally missed it. I'm telling you now. I'm going to look you right in the eye and tell you you and I have missed this.

We've missed it badly. Because we don't understand why the devil is. Is that our trail? We don't understand why the enemy is so involved in our present crisis. And I'll tell you you don't have to look too far to find the devil at work in what you're going through right now.

How many know where the devil is. He right at your tail he right at your footsteps. He's all around you he got you surrounded. You're at the Dead Sea probably. But we're going to look at this. Hallelujah, let's see the second purpose of Our if his leading is to provide a stage to the world.

For God to bring down our enemies. He's providing a state your crisis your what you're going through right now. God is setting up a scenario. It's a stage Upon which God is going to work against your enemies.

He's going to work against the devil and you're going to be caught right in the middle. Luther called it the divine mousetrap. God wants more out of guidance than just your faith and confidence. Now listen closely, please in the process of bringing you into a settled faith in him.

He's setting up a situation where your enemy is going to be dealt with fatally and finally God wants you in. That's right the the guide he wants to lead you into the promised land, but he wants he wants you in.

But he wants the devil out. There's two purposes. He wants you to get into the problem. But he wants the devil out of your experience out of your life out of your divine purposes. God wants in other words your trial.

God's not just dealing with you. He's dealing with the enemy in other words. Can I run that by you again? What you're going through right now. It's not God just dealing with you. He's dealing with the devil.

And boy is he dealing with the devil. I Want the Holy Spirit to show you something this morning that if you will take it if you'll catch it. You'll never again fear the presence of the activity of Satan in your life for your trials.

You'll never fear it again. In fact, you'll understand that God's drawing him into it. Uh-oh. No, look isn't just flipped. I Said he's drawing him in to your Crisis he's drawing the devil in to your crisis.

No, I didn't flip and I got a lot of sleep last night. I want you to go to Exodus 14. I want to show it to you. I want to show you that the devil's on your heel because the Lord's leading him into a trap if.

You'll take this to your heart. You'll never fear again. You'll never again fear the devil as long as you live. By Exodus 14 chapter, I'm going to start the first verse and the Lord spake unto Moses saying speak Unto the children of Israel that they turn in a camp before Pia Kreyhoff between Migdol and the sea and against Baal Zephon.

Now look at this place over against Belvedere's Belziphon before. It shall before it you shall in camp by the sea now look this way, please. This is some of those direct guidance in the Bible God said to Moses.

I want you to go down. He named these areas and I want you to camp right in front of the Red Sea. You know, he backed them up right against the Red Sea put their back up against the Red Sea. But not only that he told Pharaoh he told Moses what he was going to do.

He said I'm going to make Pharaoh mad and I'm going to bring it down on you and all of Israel. I'm going to bring him down or look at for Pharaoh verse 3 for Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel.

They are entangled in the land. The wilderness has shut them in and I will harden Pharaoh's heart. That he shall follow after them and I will be honored upon Pharaoh and upon all his hosts that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord and they did so.

All right, follow me very closely in this if you will, please because there's a powerful truth. He shall follow after you who is Pharaoh. Pharaoh represents the devil and every demon power in hell. What's it say verse 4 he shall follow after you.

Now look at me, please. How would you like to have such guidance? The Lord comes to you and says look I'm going. I'm gonna put you in a crisis. And I'm gonna put your back up against the wall. I'm gonna make it.

I'm gonna put you in a place that only a miracle can get you out. And then I'm gonna bring the devil chasing from this side. I'm gonna bring the devil in. He gonna come at you with all of his power and all of his force.

The devil is coming this way and the sea is this way and you can't get out outside of the miracle. Is he there? Is that where he is? Didn't God tell that whole thing to Moses. Moses knew it all. Moses had it foretold to him.

Boy he said I'm gonna bring you forth. The enemy is gonna bear down yours if he's about to wipe you out. But it's not going to be your battle. I'm going to be honored to what I do to the enemy. So that everybody's going to know that I am the Lord.

Now, please try to understand what's happening here. God causes the enemy to join the conflict. God permits the devil to get very close. Too close for comfort. Now I want to show you something now. It's not more than Israel needs more than just a way out.

More than just a crisis to see God not just trying to draw faith. He's not trying to. Please listen to this now hear it. He's not trying to get faith out of these people right now. He knows they're stubborn.

Moses said as long as I've known you've been stubborn stiff-necked people. But you see God's trying to do something more that God's out for revenge. God's out to deal with the Egyptians and Pharaoh and The children of Israel are in a crisis because he wants to deal with their enemy.

You didn't know it did you that the crisis that you're in and the devil that's come into you has been drawn into a trap? Because God wants to deal with your enemies.

Crossing the Red Sea by Faith

This is the end of side one. You may now turn the tape over to side two.

Now watch it very closely, please see. It'd be very easy for God to just pick him up and transport them over God. God did that didn't leave to Philip. Didn't he in New Testament pick him up and carry him away.

He could have picked up two three million and propped them over on the other side. Wouldn't that have been a greater miracle. How many believe God has power to do that. But you see that wouldn't accomplish God's eternal purpose here.

God was not just Wanting them to go over there and say oh, I believe God in God wonderful. Isn't God great now. We'll never doubt again. Look how he's brought up because they doubted him just a few days later at the waters of Mara.

See God was after more than that he was after their enemies. Oh. Boy when I saw this it almost Blew a Holy Ghost. Fuse in in in in modern language God's creating a media event. This is a media event. God setting up something more.

Hallelujah. Well, this is exciting to me. This is God's battle with the devil and God's people right in the middle of it. They're scared to death. God wants to accomplish two things. He seeks to establish the people who are going to walk in holy fear unmovable.

But more than that he desires. Not just to bring him out of a hard place. He desires to show them his power over their enemies. Hallelujah. What are you going through right now? I'll tell you if I had two microphones up here.

We'd be here all day. You came up here and told us what you're going through. You're back up against a hopeless wall the enemy roaring down on you. You hear they're frightening hoof beats of demonic powers.

Your mind conjures up all kinds of dreadful things that are going to happen to you. Especially if you've lost your job. How you gonna pay your bills? What are we going to do about this? What are we going to do about that?

But but believe it or not folks if you really love the Lord with all your heart. You're not going down. You're not going down, but the enemy is. That stuff that looks so dark around you is designed for the enemy not for you.

Your enemy is going to be buried in the process of your deliverance. Pharaoh and his army pursued after them and overtook them in camp by the sea verse 10. And Pharaoh drew near and when Israel saw them behold the Egyptians Marched after them and they were sore afraid and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.

So would you? You look at your kids you look around you and here look at that army burnt down on you. You look this way and there's the sea and they're camped and if you if you know what those words mean they mean mountains.

They God really trapped them. They're in the middle of two mountains they can't run that way and there's a valley and the valleys being filled with the army of Pharaoh and his Chariots, and there's no place to go.

There's no place to run and that's where many of you are. Today right now. He pursued after them and drew very near. Sometimes the enemy comes real near. But you see Israel reacted just like we do like dumb mules they had.

Already witnessed ten great miracles of deliverance in Egypt. They'd seen how God delivered them ten great plagues. But none of it came near. The Bible said the children of Israel went out of Egypt with a high hand.

What it means they went out with their heads held high they went out boldly. They went out with what they thought was confidence in God. They went out with a high hand. But now the enemy is coming at you, you know what their language is why did you bring us out here to die?

We do it all the law. We were better off back in our old ways. What kind of deliverance is this? It's hopeless. They turned to Moses and said we told you this would happen. We know it's gonna happen and you know, there's some of you right now you say well back when I was serving the devil.

It wasn't as bad as this. Man I come to the Lord everything's supposed to be happening. God's supposed to be answering prayer. Look at a mess. I'm in. And that's what they said we're you know, and they were afraid they were frightened and there's a natural fear.

I understand that and God understood that. But I'm talking to some of you tonight this morning that are under deep despair. You really are. You're going through it. You're going through it hard nobody around you understands it and There's a despair because you see the enemy bearing down on you.

And you look ahead of you and there seems to be absolutely no way out of the present situation that you're in. And there's something in your heart sometimes as God is. How is it that I can serve you? I love you, and you know, I love you.

And I've walked with you and you brought me out of the world. I forsook the world. Why am I in this mess? Why am I in trouble? Why why is this thing still lingering in my heart and in my life. God didn't chastise these people.

God. God didn't come down on them with his wrath. In fact, he brought a message of hope and that's the mercy of God. In this despair and in their fight, they were frightened absolutely frightened. And in their despair this message came fear not stand still and See the salvation of the Lord.

The enemy that you see today. You will see him again no more forever. Keep moving on go forward. The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall keep silent. In other words You're not alone. God said I'm fighting for you.

You can't see your way out. I'm not gonna tell you the way out. I'm only gonna tell you to keep moving on. That's all the only message you're ever going to hear is keep moving on. Keep moving on. Don't give up.

These children of Israel could have said no, it's hopeless. We're going to die. Anyhow, they could have just sat down and I tell you the enemy would have come in and rolled over them. Their children would have been stripped from their arms swords thrust through them their necks and heads would have been cut off.

They would have been destroyed. You can see that shipwreck all over American around the world today of people who sat down on God. They just sat down said it's hopeless. The enemy's coming in there's no way out.

I quit. I give up. And in prayer this morning the Lord made this clear last night. Especially that there were some of you on the brink of giving up and my message to you tonight. But this morning is don't give up keep moving on.

God's going to show you a way through. God says I'm going to fight this battle for you. Now David by the way. The Hebrew writer Said that these people had a measure of faith, even though they were scared.

Hebrews 11 29 says by faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry ground. Which the Egyptians trying to do were drowned? Now David in Psalm 77 described that experience and according to David in Psalm 77 and thundered all night and It says the ground shook and the wind blew and there was lightning.

There were lightnings that lighted the sky. Can you imagine that scene the cloud is behind them and confusing the Egyptians? But here in front of them lightnings are flashing one after another. Thundering's the ground is shaking the wind is blowing and it's blowing the According to Jewish tradition now remember there two to three million Jews to cross that That sea and that's going to take a time.

Jewish traditions say could have been a hundred miles long. I don't know how long it was but that that sea just opened up and the wind made it dry and I'll tell you what it took a measure of faith in the midst of all they must have gone held or stilt or I don't know, but there was some order because the priest went first with the ark remember and they passed over and According to the Hebrew writer their fear was mixed with faith.

And they did move on even even though they look both sides that those walls could come tumbling down on them. They kept going on scared. You may be scared. I can't take that out of you this morning. Not much anybody can do it not my many counselors or pastors it can remove that that natural fear.

That's in you, but I'll tell you what if you'll just keep moving on say God somehow. I'm going on I'm going on they went on they passed on. And that's what the scripture said. God said Moses. Why are you crying tell the people to move forward tell them to go on?

Folks sometime, that's all you can do just keep going on you're scared. Yes, you're scared this lightning thunder. Everything is shaking on you keep moving. Don't lay down and quit and don't say no God.