Enduring…
Recently some discussions around the church have been about continuing on, not giving up, not throwing in the towel, but enduring to the end. Some of the verses in discussion have been:
“Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” – 1 Timothy 4:16
“But the one who endures to the end shall be saved.” – Matthew 24:13
But how do we continue? How do we know we will endure to the end?
The Word…
What does God say will endure to the end? Both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, God declares,
“All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” – Peter 1:24 (see also Isaiah 40:6-8)
We see an example of the word of God relating to our endurance in the parable of the sower. In it, Jesus defines the seed as the word of God. In some cases, the word was carelessly lost because of a hard heart (i.e., hard soil). In other cases, the word was deemed insufficient to handle the trials and difficulties of this life. And in other cases, the word, was choked out by the cares and desires of this world. It was only the heart that nurtured for, provided for, and prioritized the word of God that endured.
King David…
In the Old Testament, King David had a lot of ups and downs. From being a young shepherd, to triumphing over Goliath. From being an outlaw, to king over Israel. From conquering enemy nations, to committing adultery with another man’s wife. From being a murderer, to repenting, and being declared a man after God’s own heart. Very few have had as many highs… and lows… as King David. Yet what kept David through it all? How did he continue on, and endure to the end?
In Psalm 1, we read of David,
“But His delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither.” – Psalm 1:2-3
David’s “leaf” did not “wither”, because his delight was in the “law of the LORD”, and he meditated on it day and night.
In Psalm 119, David uses 8 Hebrew words for the “word of God”. They translate into our English as laws, words, testimonies, ordinances, commands, promises, statutes, and precepts. To see just how vital the word of God was for David, see Psalm 119:15-16, 27, 31-33, 40-41, 54, 93, 105, 118, 133, 141, 147-148, 155, 159-160, 162, 170.
Us…
What about us? We too have our ups and downs. From victories over sin and mountain-top experiences, to shameful thoughts and wicked deeds. How might we continue on, and endure to the end?
Certainly, church participation, discipleship classes, fellowship with Christians, serving others, giving charitably, reaching out to those around us, and overseas missions endeavors are all good. But none of those things promise to keep us to the end. In reality, they are just the externals of our faith.
What is inside is the seed, the word of God, implanted in our hearts. That is what matters. Without it, there is no lasting spiritual life. Without it, nothing we do will survive the tests of time. The only thing that will endure forever is the word of God.
Is the word of God in us? Are we nurturing it? Are we providing for it? Are we prioritizing it? Are we delighting in it? Do we meditate on His word? How often? With what focus? For how long? To what extent? Are we getting our sustenance from His testimonies? Are we receiving our directions from His precepts? If not, perhaps it is time to repent, and to renew our delight in God’s word. Perhaps it is time to turn again to God’s word, and to meditate on it, that we might be “like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither.”