Today’s Text: Matthew 16:21-23.
What is faithfulness? It means to follow through with a commitment regardless of difficulty”, or simply “Love hanging on”.
How can we demonstrate “FAITHFULNESS”
To better understand, the example is Jesus in the 16th chapter of Matthew.
Vs 21 tells us that Jesus brings His disciples together, and tells them that he is going to Jerusalem. He tells them, “I know what will happen there. I’m going to be arrested, and beaten, and crucified. But I’m going any way.”
In the next verse we see Peter pulls Him to the side and tells Him, “Lord don’t go!” But Jesus says, “Get behind me, Satan.” He did not mean that Peter was “Satan”, but that Satan was using Peter to get Jesus to QUIT, to be unfaithful.
Again and again through out His ministry Satan tried to tempt Jesus to be unfaithful.”Don’t go to the Cross. Don’t die for their sins. Just quit. It’s going to be too tough. There will be too many obstacles, too many difficulties. Just turn around and quit.
Even when He was hanging on the cross, the people below Him were mocking Him, saying, “If you really are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” That’s what Satan was saying, too. ” Quit!! Come down. It’s not worth it. The pain is too intense. The people don’t care anyway. Just quit!
But the faithfulness of Jesus has inspired the faithfulness of others down through the ages, those who hung in there, through the good and the bad, through times of plenty and times of want.
You may be going through a rough patch in your marriage and Satan through people and your thoughts is telling you to quit! after all you are not beautiful! remember what you did last time! It’s not worth it, just quit. Whatever the case is. God is saying to you my sister, hung in there, Salvation is just around the corner, breakthrough is coming, hung in there. Hold on to your faithfulness, don’t quit. Be positive, confess the right words which will create life and not death.
Temptation will come, no one is exempted, we all get tempted to quit by yielding to fleshy desires. But the Lord gives us strength to remain faithful to whatever we are committed to.
The Lord will give you strength to endure hardship, Just like Jesus did to the point of death. The result is that, we are all saved. Your faithfulness will save a soul, it could be your siblings, your husband/wife, your child, your boy friend, your property or even a stranger.
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” Amen!
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