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"
Rebecca, I’m sorry. May you and your family rest in the certain knowledge that He knows the Lord and when he transitions what joy will be his. ❤
Rebecca, I’m sorry. May you and your family rest in the certain knowledge that He knows the Lord and when he transitions what joy will be his. ❤
I have moved 17 times in 42 years! And I have now been in the same place for almost 10 years because I am stuck with a wonderful husband who likes to stay put:)
This was so spot on. I love the newness of everything, and I love organizing everything in boxes… But there are times moving is like a reset button. A sort of escape. I am a huge introvert, so I have often thought that things would be different somewhere else because people would not know my past personality…I could act outgoing! (It has never worked!!!)
I have to remind myself of the truths in this devotion often. He will guide our steps, no matter where we are!
Praying for you Rebecca during this time
Michelle Patire, do you have a way for us to find the artist collective, “Verses”?
I’m a day behind on the study but today I’m convinced it’s for a reason. I’m traveling to my father who is dying and this passage is comforting in that though he is getting ready to be poured out he is saved and is going to be with God. That is no small thing. It’s a blessing.
❤️
I desperately needed this today. It felt like ministry was too hard to keep going. Thank you. So grateful for Gods living word.
This was beautiful, Scarlet. Thank you for sharing. Sometimes escape can feel like an easy way out and still be a huge challenge of its own. Perseverance is a challenge.
Praying for you all and your families. Gayle- congrats on retirement. You have finished that particular race!
♥️
GAYLE, so exited for you! Congratulations on your retirement! Will be praying with you for direction in what God has next for you. BROOKE, thank you for the update! Will continue to pray for you and your precious baby- that all kidney issues will resolve, for a healthy remainder of your pregnancy and delivery, and complication-free nursing!
KARIN, so happy to hear that your granddaughter is home and feeling God’s peace.
Blessed is the man who endures temptations/trials for when he has been proved, there is the promised crown. Hallelujah. I am in a current trial right now struggling with the relationship with my mom. And enduring hurtful opinions and different faith understandings is a real trying furnace for me. It’s a trap leading to fruitless arguments. This verse James 1:12 is the encouragement that gives me hope to endure and persevere. The devil after all comes after us for the Word’s sake (Mark 4:17) and without deep roots we can’t endure. Ladies I would appreciate your prayers for our relationship to see better days. I thank God for you all. Be blessed dear beautiful she’s.❤️
So just a couple of days ago read these same Scriptures in my “Portraits of Devotion” by Beth Moore. At the end of the devotion she writes, “God is not simply trying to snatch us from danger. He desires to draw us to Himself spiritually, then one day physically. When our ultimate rescue comes God’s purpose is to deliver us to Himself —– safely.” I thought this really summed up what Paul was saying to Timothy.
Scarlet also touched on it in her last paragraph, “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.”
We need to remember God, Christ and the Holy Spirit are ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS WITH US and no matter what we do we can ALWAYS ask God for forgiveness.
Be bless and stay in the Word and don’t just listen, do, sisters.
Needed to read this today. I’m at a point in our ministry that it feels easier to start over than to endure. God gives the grace and strength to carry on, press on, and endure to the end. ❤️
I love this study!! I have fought the good fight I have finished the race I have kept my faith!!
I love this study!!
I loved these passages today. I’ve been memorizing Joshua 1:9. There’s an artist collective called Verses that helps with scripture memorization. I really love their song for Joshua 1:9. It mimics Deuteronomy 31:6-8 — and it encourages me how much God repeats Himself to Joshua. Cuz the Lord is always repeating the same Scriptures to me to get it in my head & into my heart.
I am so thankful for God’s promise to stay with us. It is the most beautiful thing. To know a Holy God stands with us in the deepest of sin. It doesn’t make sense.
@Molly — loved your post yesterday. What a beautiful journey God has you on — and your desire to trust Him. <3
@Lynne from Alabama — man, your comment brightened my morning. I'm so thankful the Lord led you to listen to my story. Thank you. My prayer is that it would equip and encourage people in their faith. May God continue to reveal Himself to your family members. He loves them and He never stops pursuing them in all their sin or confusion.
Reckless love <3
I'm so thankful to be in this community where God's love and truth is so present. Thank you everyone for taking the time to pray for me, encourage me, and strengthen me. God bless you all!!
1 John 3:1-5 See what great love, the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children – and we are!! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know him. Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is. And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure.
This made me think of my son in heaven!
God promises us the crown of righteousness. We need to keep the faith! He will stand with us and strengthen us.
I need to exercise self control in everything. To fulfill my ministry. And to be strong and courageous.
@Molly R – I had the same mission of motherhood, homeschooled my four children all the way through, trying to set the example of meeting with God each morning, relying on Him each day. What a blessing and a joy that was for me. And now I help with educating and homeschooling my grands. So I applaud you for following God’s calling. Hugs to you, sweet mother. ❤️
Good morning Gayle. I am also a special education teacher. Bless you for 34 years of caring for children, and congratulations!!!
Thank you for your prayers. My granddaughter is out of the hospital and seems to be on the right track. She admits that she was lost but through all the prayers lifted up for her, she feels the peace of our Lord surrounding her. ❤️
Dear heart, set your focus on heaven, Jesus reigns there as your King. He will not forsake you. He will receive you when its time to go home. There is a crown that belongs to you there, He promised. His promises are true and worth waiting for. Keep the faith. Even the smallest seed of it is enough to grow goodness and bring life here in your present world. “Be strong and courageous…the Lord your God is with you… He will not abandon you” (Deut 31:6). My Lord, help me remember that this world is dangerous and being safe is not the point. But rather, I am a warrior in the wilderness equipped for battle, armed with Your wisdom and strength to fight the good fight. Nothing can separate me from Your love. I am strong enough to face the trials ahead. And with Your power in me, there will be victory. I will keep marching on, until… Maranatha.
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