Stand!

Stand!

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:58 KJV

The Context and Focus:

Paul spent the whole chapter speaking on the fact of resurrection. There was the sect of the Saduccees who did not believe in resurrection, yet they were leaders in the temple. He took time to tell his audience that this earthly life is just but a preparation for eternity. We have been given this body as a clay vessel to hold God's great treasures. The focus must not be on the outward first of all, but on how the inner can impact the outward. I take stock again today, as I consider my life's journey into eternity: how am I seeking impact down here on earth, and also seeking the fulfilment of God's promise of an eternal home? The only way my life will make sense is it is applied in the way its Creator wants it to. I can choose to work blindly, seeking glory for myself, or I can work as God directs. 

The Message:

Being steadfast is defined as "being firm in belief, determination or adherence." This is a state where nothing is able to shake or upset you. When I keep my eyes on that which God is doing, it is hard for anyone or anything to distract me. To be unmoveable is to be fixed in a place A man who knows who God is, what God has called him to do, and is focused on the relationship and assignment can never be moved. Yes, storms will come; the winds will rise and there will be shakings, but I must keep my eyes on the One who calls, equips, plants and sustains me. There is no demilitarized zone, where I can just relax and get complacent. God is always at work, and my life's best use is in the pursuit of the work of this God. Nothing and no one else will do. Who am I, and who am I working for?

The Conclusion:

I must always abound; there is no room for being stagnant. It is God's work I am called to do, not mine. If it is God I am working for, the attitude must be right. The knowledge that there is a reward must keep me focused on the assignment before me. God does not call a man to seek Him in vain, and He does not wait for me to be perfect before He accepts me. It is called 'labour' down here, and then reward up there. It is labour that leads to reward. I must be sure that my labour is defined by God. He will not bless that which He has not commissioned. He will not defend that which he has not defined. He will not release grace for that which He has not ordained. May I spend my life only for that which God will back up. God's time of favour is here.