Faithfulness: October 10, 2013

TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY OCTOBER 10, 2013.

FAITHFULNESS

DEFINITION: 

True to one's word, promises and vows; firm in adherence; worthy of trust.

SCRIPTURE:

Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. Genesis 5:24

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.  I Corinthians 9:24

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Life is full of reversals, and we as Christians are not excluded from disappointments that make us want to give up. This is not what God wants from us. He wants faithfulness, a spirit of never quitting, to dominate our lives.

Paul challenges us in the race that is the Christian life to keep running (above verse). He gave these words to the believers in the church at Corinth. We are to run faithfully the race God has given us and should be driven by the knowledge that we run to honor our King and to receive from Him an eternal crown at the end of our race.

We have never been a couple that did a good job exercising. But for several years we committed to walk about two miles every day. It was tough for us to be faithful in doing this but Ken will admit that Dottie was the faithful one. Now it is difficult for us to walk like we did because all the aches and pains of maturing are setting in. Walking with someone leads to conversing with each other. It is through conversation that relationships are developed.

This comment about walking made us think about a man in the Bible named Enoch. There is not much written about him but in a short narrative in Genesis it says that "Enoch walked with God." Walking with God requires faithfulness and commitment. The eleventh chapter of Hebrews has been given titles such as “Faith’s Hall of Fame” and “Heroes of Faith” because it is a list of Old Testament saints along with a moving account of their faithfulness. We can be sure Enoch was faithful because he is included in this list. In Hebrews 11:5 it is written about Enoch that God rewarded him for his faithfulness. Enoch did not have to experience death. God just took him to be with Him because he walked daily with God and had an unswerving obedience to God in a corrupt culture.

We urge you to be challenged by the faithfulness of Enoch, as we are, and to renew our commitment to walk faithfully with God today in all that we do. You are headed in the right direction when you walk with God and faithfully serve Him.

LEARNING: 

Our memory verse for this week is found in Proverbs 19:17.

One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his good deed.

PRAYER:

Help our family to live by the words of the song, He walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me I am His own; and the joy we share as we tarry there none other has ever known.