ARE YOU STEADFASTLY EXCELLING IN THE LORD’S WORK?
Be strong, immovable, always work with enthusiasm for the Lord. Why? Because of the resurrection and because whatever you plant in faith will grow and produce a harvest. The promise of eternal life should make us fearless in our focus. It should make us immovable (persistently firm and unswerving) in our commitment. Do you ever feel that your work for God is insignificant? That your faith is useless? Remember what Christ gave for you and that when He returns, you will rise to His trumpet’s call. Nothing you do for Him is useless, even the giving of your very life. No good thing is forgotten or wasted that we do by faith in His Name.
All who labor for the Lord will at some point say as the prophet Isaiah did, “‘I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain” (Isa.49:4a). Yet by faith we can also join him in concluding: “Yet surely my just reward is with the LORD, And my work with my God” (Isa. 49:4b).
Remember the apostle Paul’s encouragement to the Galatians: “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Gal. 6:9). Don’t give up! Never dig up in doubt what you planted by faith! Difficult days will come, but we must remain steadfast and immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, being confident that our success is in the Lord’s hands.
PRAYER: Dear Father, as we grow older it seems life goes by more quickly with each year. We confess that we often despair that nothing we do matters. For everything passes away. Yet we labor according to Your strength and we trust that our reward is in Your hands. Fill us afresh with Your zeal and make us strong and immovable in our conviction. By faith we lay up treasure in heaven with You. Help us to pull our eyes off of results and success here and to set them on You and eternal things. In Jesus’ name, amen.