Hebrews 6:10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

The reason the Bible tells us repeatedly that God remembers and will reward what we do in obedience to Him is that the devil is constantly telling us that’s not the case. The thing is, not everyone is faithful. I personally know some people who seem to fit the description a few verses after this of those who have tasted the gifts of the Spirit and then discarded them. The world still holds them in high regard, but they have made themselves their god, and I shudder to think what awaits them. It has been said many times that the Christian life isn’t a dash, but a marathon. Downhill spurts can be exciting, but we have uphill slogs as well, and we are to thank God for them. After all, the uphill sections build muscle, and high speed downhill is an invitation to accidents. We have trouble seeing things as God does, and so get discouraged. That’s where faith comes in. We don’t know what’s around the corner, much less what’s down the road, but the more we know our Lord, the more peace and the less anxiety we have. Life on this earth is an adventure in learning, and if we approach it that way it is deeply satisfying. In the first place, we have much to learn about ourselves. Some of that isn’t necessarily good news, as we discover weaknesses we might wish we didn’t have, but in general we find that God doesn’t make junk, as a t-shirt I once saw proclaimed. We also have much to learn about the people around us. Again, those discoveries can be a mixed bag, but knowledge and understanding are blessings. Most importantly, we have much to learn about our Creator, who loved us enough to send His Son to die for us. He is infinite, so by definition we always have more to learn of Him, and those discoveries are always good. Sometimes they give us pause, when we realize how totally holy He is, but they are often to­tally delightful, as when we discover that He even has a sense of humor! Learning more of God is the great adventure that makes all the rest of it worth it. As Jesus famously told us, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

I was immensely blessed to have deeply faithful parents, who were faithful to each other, to the Lord, and to the tasks He set for them. I have a magnificent example to follow. In the recent celebration of the 40^th anniversary of this church some people commented on my faithfulness, but I’m not so sure about that. I think some of what they were calling faithfulness is simply inertia! However, it is indeed my desire to be faithful, even as I realize that I have no power in myself to do that. However, I do know my Lord, and know that He is able to keep even me on the path, if I will yield myself to Him. I have the comfort of knowing that I don’t have so many years left to keep dealing with all the issues of my flesh, and my “sinful nature,” as the NIV frequently puts it. As Paul quoted to Timothy, “If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your absolute faithfulness. Thank You that I was able to pass the senior adult testing yesterday before my upcoming driver’s license renewal, and for the certificate that says, “Shows no signs of senility.” May I indeed be faithful by Your power for as long as You keep me here, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!