What does it take to pursue a path of faithfulness to God? Is it a plan? Does it start with determination, or does it just happen?
The following are examples of individuals from a bygone era who persevered, endured, and were faithful at various stages of their lives.
As a teenager, Daniel was captured and sent to the capital of his captors. He distinguished himself first with his dietary habits. Then came his advice to the ruler, resulting in serving under three different heads of state. Prayer was his strengthening asset, and it should be ours.
David was a shepherd, renegade, and king. Although often misunderstood, he remained faithful to his Lord most of the time. He was skilled in music and songwriting, particularly in Psalms, and was “A man after my own (God’s) heart” (Acts 13:22 NKJV). The Bible records no such statement for any other individual.
A burning bush demanded the attention of an 80-year-old. He led a rebellious nation through its spiritual reversals. Moses is the only human to spend 40 days with God on a mountaintop. He saw the Lord’s back and survived. Moses, when he descended from the mountain, glowed with holiness from being in the presence of God. After years of leading the Israelites, our wonderful Lord allowed Moses to see the Promised Land without setting foot in it. The Lord buried him with no one else around.
How would you feel if your God told you to lead an army? Gideon wanted confirmation, so the fleece incident is in the Bible. Gideon, a judge in Israel, asks for leadership before leading Israel into battle against the Midianites. Gideon places a fleece outside and asks God to make it wet while keeping the surrounding grass dry. Then Gideon, wanting assurance, asked God to reverse the procedure. God is patient with His children and answers our prayers. Miracles do happen for the obedient. Israel defeated the Midianites.
Clothing doesn’t define an individual. Imagine your outer garment made of camel skin with a belt around your waist. His message to Israel was to repent. John the Baptist didn’t preach in the city but in the wilderness. People came to hear him, and the Lord changed their lives. Interestingly, John broke a 400-year spiritual silence in Israel. He was the one to prepare the way for the Lord’s ministry. Jesus said, “No one born of woman was greater than John the Baptist.” When the Son of God makes a statement, we should take it to heart and believe it.
The list of great Saints is long, but God didn’t quit working two thousand years ago. Our God is still using saints today. Mostly unknown but faithful. Not perfect, but faithful. Age, gender, or location don’t hinder an individual in God’s eyes. The qualifying characteristic for diligence is heart, not perfection, which should give us hope and inspire us to surrender our lives to the Lord’s leadership.
