“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor 15:58; NKJV). To be steadfast is to be constant, immoveable, unwavering. God the Father never changes (Mal 3:6a), nor does Jesus (Heb 13:8) and God’s plans and purposes stand firm across all generations (Ps 33:11). I am always impressed with the prophet, Daniel; he was constant in his relationship to God, praying always even though he faced the penalty of death for doing so (Dan 6:10). In the New Testament we are told to stand firm in our relationship with God (Phil 1:4) and not to get discouraged or weary in doing good (Gal 6:9). James, the brother of Jesus, exhorted us to “Let your “yes” be “yes”, and your “no”, “no” (James 5:12b). The writer of Hebrews wrote, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful” (Heb 10:23; NKJV).

As Christians, we are to be consistent, constant in our walk with God, with no contradictions in our lifestyle. We often hear people say, “it’s not how you start but how you finish the race that counts.” Jesus asked His disciples whether He would find faith at His second coming (Luke 18:8b) but when He returns will He also find a church consistent with the early church of Acts? How can we assure this will be so? Joshua 1:8 would be a good starting point. Joshua advises us to meditate God’s word both day and night and live lives consistent with what we read. Do I hear an Amen?