[2] Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, [3] because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. [4] Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
(James 1:2-4 NIV)
When I pastored my first church, I went through some tough moments. I even asked the Lord to take me home if I was missing His voice and doing damage to people. All He would say was, “stay steady.” I really wanted something a little more spiritual sounding. One morning, as I sat at my desk asking God for direction, a young lady who was only recently saved came into the office. She very timidly tapped on my door. I greeted her and asked how I could help. In a very shaky voice she said, “I don’t know what this means, but this morning as I prayed, the Holy Spirit told me to come tell you something. He said tell Pastor to stay steady.” I got the message.
We are living in a very strange and trying time. It certainly qualifies as “trials of many kinds.” We are threatened with a virus that seems to morph every few days. We have been confined to quarters. Our economy has been in upheaval. Our lives have been distorted in all kinds of ways. At the same time, our nation seems determined to eat itself, and things that were honorable yesterday are deemed detestable today. Finding a place of stability and peace is difficult.
If this trial is tough for you, here’s a Word from God: Stay steady. Part of God’s method to keep us going in the midst of pressure is to use other believers, sometimes unlikely ones, to encourage, correct, and confirm. The place that happens most frequently is in the gathering of the family on the Lord’s Day. I repeat, God wants you to stay steady. Stay steady in prayer, in the Word, and in gathering together. This will pass and we will be better for it, but only if we “Stay Steady.”
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