Keep the Faith
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Joshua 1:8
This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.
2 Timothy 4:1-8
1. I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2. preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, be unfailing in patience and in teaching. 3. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings, 4. and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths. 5. As for you, always be steady, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry. 6. For I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come. 7. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
“Be unfailing in patience and in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching.” I am not a patient person! I am, however, less patient with myself than I am with others. But I do also lose patience with those who continually ignore or deny the truth! It’s so frustrating! But the world launches a great attack--it’s so easy to recruit an army to fight for self-satisfaction, enjoyment, self-involvement and instant gratification! Who wouldn’t want that? Why wouldn’t I enlist?!
Paul reminds Timothy why: our salvation is at risk! He assures Timothy he knows how difficult it can be--even when listeners are receptive, it can be challenging to find just the right words, say exactly the right thing to enlighten them to the truth. And he knows that it is possible to keep on working, even when tired, alone, physically and emotionally spent. And it is possible because of Christ. His sacrifice for us is the reason we keep at it! And the promise of eternity! We are tasked to bring others to that same promise--it’s what we’re “supposed to do.”
Joel expresses a very similar sentiment, though at this point in history there was not the same sense of urgency--Jesus didn’t come on the scene for a long, long time after Joel lived. Meditate on the book of the law day and night. Today’s application might be to cut out a few television shows--really are very many of them worth 30 or 60 minutes of your valuable time? Some might be, but . . . how many hours a day do we have available that we can spend part of that time absorbing and consuming what “the world” has to offer?
Don’t give up. Even when you want to. Even when you’re tired. Even when you think you’re not making a difference. Because you are. And you can be certain that you are because you’re not in it alone: you have The Holy Spirit to sustain, encourage and compel you. And with that fuel and ammunition you are invincible! Even in death, you are victorious because of the victory Christ won for us once for all. So hang in there!
Remember, Paul was conflicted earlier in the New Testament on whether he should ask God to let him live so he could continue preaching, or to take him to heaven, so he could receive his final reward. I think that’s what Paul is saying: even if you don’t know it, even if you don’t feel it, even if there is absolutely no tangible sign that you have succeeded at the task of evangelism, you’re a winner! Because of Jesus Christ.
I hope today you fight the good fight, run the good race, keep up the good work. And that you meditate on the book of the law all day long.
Mary
