Be Faithful and Endure

November 27th, 2024
by Kevin Darnell

John Stephen Akhwari is a former marathon runner who represented Tanzania in the 42 kilometer marathon at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. Mexico City is at a high altitude and Akhwari had not trained at such an altitude in his preparation for the Olympics.

At the 19 km mark, feeling the effects of the altitude, he found himself in a crowd of runners who were jockeying for position. Unfortunately, Akhwari was knocked to the ground where he dislocated his knee and severely injured his shoulder. But that didn’t stop him from continuing his race.

Trailing far behind and the race already decided, Akhwari trudged forward. As the stadium emptied and the sun had set, Akhwari hobbled into the stadium alone and finally limped across the finish line, over an hour after the first place winner. When asked why he continued on after being injured and the race already decided, Akhwari said, “My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race; they sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race.”

There is another group of people who were faithful and endured. We find them in the book of Joshua in chapter 22. They were the Israelite men, women, and children of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh. These tribes made a covenant with Moses and Joshua to fight alongside of their brother tribes to take the Promised Land, even though they were fighting for land that they would not possess. These tribes made a covenant with Moses and Joshua to fight alongside of their brother tribes to take the Promised Land, even though they were fighting for land that they would not possess.

For seven years, they fought faithfully in spite of separation from their families, facing overwhelming odds, and being outnumbered and outgunned. They followed their leader Joshua in everything that they did. They obeyed the LORD every day and in every way. When the war was finally over, they had endured and returned to the other side of the Jordan with their reward.

While these men were away, their wives faithfully served and raised their children, set up their households, and maintained a very large number of livestock. They were faithful and endured and most likely rejoiced to see their husbands and sons return home.

If these men and women of Gad, Reuben and Manasseh can endure war, defeat, hardship and distance from their families and remain faithful to God, it is possible for you remain faithful and endure. They are evidence that longevity and obedience are possible. They are proof positive that you can suffer and endure in faithfulness. This means that you can be sexually pure down to the day of your wedding. It means that it is possible to fight through disease and stay faithful. It is possible to stay on course and not veer off.

Their example is proof that you can endure and stay faithful. After all, God did not send His Son so that you could start the race, He sent His Son so that you could finish it and hear the words, “Well Done! Good and faithful servant!”

These are your Words for Wednesday. Have a happy Thanksgiving!

In Christ,
Kevin