Read: Matthew 24
“But the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:13)
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Matthew 24:35)
Reflect:
One day, Jesus will return. I’m not sure I’ve fully understood all the details, but I am sure about that fact. And on that day I will be saved: fully, completely, eternally… if, in the meantime, I stand firm.
How do I ensure I will stand firm? The first thing I need to do is choose my ground. Jesus said (Matthew 7:24-27) that the person who builds their life on his teaching will be like a person who builds their house on a rock – he said this before concrete. I need a firm foundation if I want to stand firm. I need Jesus’ words.
Psalm 1 advises that the person who meditates on God’s word day and night will be like a tree planted by a stream whose leaf does not wither – this was written before hydroponics. I need deep roots that reach down to Living Water if I want to stand firm. I need the whole Bible – morning and evening, waking and walking.
I need Jesus’ words, which will stand to the end.
crux:
In order to stand firm to the end, I must stand on the words of Christ.
Respond:
LORD God Almighty,
You are immortal, eternal, everlasting. You have no beginning and no end. Your words endure forever.
But, like the grass which withers and the flowers that fade, I will pass away. LORD, please enable me to stand firm in my faith until the end. Whether I meet my end in death or in the return of my King, I pray that you will keep me standing firm, holding tight to Jesus, until that end.
Keep me reading your word and responding to it. Keep me loving and enjoying Jesus. May I be satisfied with the blessings that I receive every time I meditate upon your word. Please help me to read it in the mornings as well as the evenings because as you know I’m struggling to get out of bed in the colder, darker mornings of Autumn.
Please help me to stand firm, on the eternal words of your Son.
Amen.
crux: 