Lately, I’ve grieved over friends (and everyone) who have once known the joy of salvation and then chosen to forsake Christ for the world. In some ways, they’ve forgotten the good God has done for them. They’ve forgotten how good God really is and how much we need him. They’ve forgotten how to stay firm in the faith.

When I was younger, it was great to fellowship with other young Christians. But the ranks have thinned out considerably. I used to wonder about the Harvest Story of Jesus. Who on earth would be the seeds fallen in the gravel or in the weeds? I don’t wonder any more. Sadly, it’s all happening in the front of my eyes.

This is nothing new under the sun though. The whole Bible talks about the same thing over and over. Chuck Swindoll points out: “More than once Jesus deliberately addressed certain issues that quickly diminished the number of onlookers…it was commitment that thinned the ranks”. And commitment is exactly what God wants from us.

God wants us to keep him number one in our lives. God wants to give us life and more life but we need to keep coming back for more. God gives his grace – the very thing we all need – freely if we just ask. But we need to keep on asking. Every day. There is no other way to stay firm in the faith.

Because I need God’s grace so badly, I choose to cling to Jesus. All God’s children need to choose Jesus daily. Otherwise any of us might slip away. The world is full of traps, I’ve experienced the dangers of them myself. Even such a small thing than TV can lure you away from Jesus. Each and every one of us has different temptations. Bring them to Jesus. Don’t play with the fire. And if you do get burned, run back to Jesus.

A. B. Simpson has said “Christ is not a reservoir but a spring. His life is continual, active and ever passing on with an outflow as necessary as its inflow. If we do not perpetually draw the fresh supply from the living Fountain, we shall either grow stagnant or empty, It is, therefore, not so much a perpetual fullness as a perpetual filling.” This is what ‘flowing faith’ is all about. Faith is God’s gift for us. We just need to keep it overflowing by coming to Christ, the living Fountain.

Then – by God’s grace – we won’t forget all the good God has done and is doing for us.
Then – by God’s grace – we can stay firm in the faith no matter what happens in our lives.
Then – by God’s grace – we can stay firm in the faith no matter what happens around us.

Gracious God,
Help us not to forget how badly we need you.
Help us to stay close to you.
and stay firm in the faith.
Fill our hearts with the joy of salvation.
Keep our faith always flowing.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: How is the world tempting you? How do you stay firm in the faith?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you stay firm in the faith!

* [As you might have noticed, I enjoy reading the Bible in different translations and love comparing them. I have started linking the Bible verses to Biblegateway.com so you can easily read (and compare) them in the different versions I’ve used while preparing each post.].

Image courtesy of PicMonkey, design by Mari-Anna Stålnacke. Linking up today with Dance with Jesus, Faith-filled Fridays, Five Minute Friday.