I’ve moved seventeen times in my thirty-five years. The whole deal: put stuff in boxes, new neighborhood, new friends, new life.
And I’ve loved most of those moves. I really have. The thing is, I like a fresh start. I enjoy a different grocery store. I love the feeling of newness, possibility, and mail-forwarding.
Some of that is probably personality. Sometimes, I was happy to move because I felt God doing something and I was excited to be part of it. But, if I’m honest, some of those moves seemed more like escapes. Sometimes, life felt hard and packing up felt like the eject button that would free me from a circumstance that might require perseverance, patience, discipline. Bleh. That’s three terrible sounding words for a person stuck in self-centeredness.
Maybe you’ve had seasons like that. Maybe your heart has been distracted from God’s beauty and God’s Word, and your flesh tends to walk in fear and to get stuck in discouragement. To look for an escape, rather than looking for how God might use you to love who you’re with and worship Him with your life.
But, God’s wisdom in passages like today’s reminds us that we can walk out our faith with courage and endurance, because the Lord Himself goes before us and will be with us, never leaving or forsaking us (Deuteronomy 31:8). His Word reminds us it is worth it to stay.
What beautiful encouragement Moses gave to Joshua, and what a beautiful truth we can carry with us when fighting the good fight, finishing the race, and keeping the faith feel hard or scary. God goes with us. God stays with us. Enduring always means the presence of God.
I don’t know how many moves I have in my future, or if God’s planted me where I’m at for good, but I know the reason I can finish any race is because Jesus Christ is with me. He finished the race where we didn’t. He finished the race when we couldn’t even start. Because of Him, we know there is a glorious crown of life in our future.
My tendency may be to run away from conflict and pain, but after decades of walking with the Lord and trying to shape my life around His Word, He’s shown me that there is so much blessing in staying close to Him, close to His Word, close to His will. There is so much joy that comes from enduring.
Stay in the race. Keep the faith. Remember that what might feel bleh to our flesh can feel like a blessing when we are walking in His Spirit.
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30 thoughts on "Keep the Faith"
Loved today’s devotion as it is applicable to many seasons of my life, but especially this season of singleness and feeling called to stay in Delaware for at least another year. I wrote in my journal from the devotion “God’s Word reminds me it is worth it to stay. Enduring always means the presence of God.” and “There is so much blessing in staying close to Him, close to His Word, close to His will.” Lord give me and each of my sisters in Christ endurance to fight the good fight, to finish our races well, and keep the faith. <3 Thanks SRT for another great study and looking forward to diving in with you all to our new study on Monday!
Congratulations on your retirement, Gayle! What an amazing accomplishment :) so excited for what God has in store for your next “move”!
What an amazing opportunity! Is there a way to follow what you are doing?
People will fail me, just as I fail orhers. “But the Lord [stands] with me and strengthen[s] me”!
Keep the faith ❤️
Awesome! Stay safe
Good morning from Israel! My husband and I are leading a team of college students on an archeological dig for the next few weeks. Seeing the places I’ve read about for decades is indescribable. Praying for you all from across the pond, as Tina would say ❤️
KIMBERLY, thank you for your update on how things are going after your dad’s accident- I have been praying for you so it was encouraging to know that you have experienced the closeness of our heavenly Father at this time. Reading today’s scriptures may you continue to know James 1:12 as your portion!
ASH, thank you for your update too! It’s so good to hear of the Lord’s hand at work.
I have an ongoing struggle to relate with someone’s personality at work and I often want to ‘move on’ to escape how it affects me and my emotions, but I know that God is more interested in doing a work in me personally and how I respond rather than just removing me from the situation. Enduring does mean the presence of God as we press in to Him, which is what I earnestly seek. Have a blessed day everyone xx