by Tim Hall

Two brothers made a promise to follow God. For a time, they were true to their word, submitting to God's wisdom, obeying His will. In time, however, one decided there was more reward to be found from the world. He abandoned his commitment and walked in paths the Lord had forbidden.

God described that tragedy through His prophet Hosea: "Ephraim has encompassed Me with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit; but Judah still walks with God, even with the Holy One who is faithful" (Hosea 11:12, New King James Version).

What made the difference between these two brothers? As Hosea said, one trusted in the faithfulness of God, while the other apparently did not. That trust makes all the difference. If we believe something is going to be worthwhile, we will endure great obstacles. But when our hope for reward is weakened or taken away, we quickly give up.

God's faithfulness is a prominent theme of the Bible. Paul noted it in his letter to Corinth: "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:9). Remove the certainty that God will bless our efforts, and who is willing to give up his will for the Lord's? But Paul had no doubts about God's willingness to bless. "He is faithful", Paul assured them.

James, too, pointed to the value of knowing God's faithfulness. He compared the Christian's life to a farmer's labor. There are times, between the early and the latter rains, when the farmer wonders if his efforts will be in vain. But then the rain comes and his patience is rewarded. "You also be patient," James concluded. "Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand" (James 5:7,8).

As Christians see the world doling out riches to the ungodly, it's hard to hold onto our faith. Why not let go of things we can't see and grab for the world's golden rings? After all, this talk about heaven may just be fantasy. As time goes by, our resolve to live by faith weakens, and many decide to take what is before them. Demas was one such Christian (2 Timothy 4:10).

The faithfulness of God -- how important it is to see this attribute! And how is it that we can make it ever clearer in our minds? Here's Paul's prescription: "For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope" (Romans 15:4).

Back to the Bible! In our modern world of sophistication and technology, it sounds just too simple and old-fashioned. But those who wish to endure to the end cannot allow anything to detract them from reading the Bible. In reminding ourselves of how God has faithfully dealt with others in the past, we'll be encouraged to endure, too.

An old Greek hymn of the 8th century speaks the lesson eloquently: "'If I ask Him to receive me, will He say me nay?' 'Not till earth and not till heaven pass away.' 'Finding, following, keeping, struggling, Is He sure to bless?' 'Saints, apostles, prophets, martyrs answer "Yes".'" (From the hymn "Art Thou Weary?")

Is God sure to bless? The answer we hold in our hearts will determine the resolve we have to persevere.