Seventh-Day Adventist Devotional For Children: “Keep The Faith”

DAILY BREAD – DEVOTIONAL FOR CHILDREN

EASTERN NIGERIA UNION CONFERENCE CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES

Thursday, September 28, 2023

Title: Keep the Faith

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8

Most times, we don’t like to think about death because it can be scary. But the Bible in Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.” To number our days means to remember that life is short and to be wise with the time we have. We shouldn’t be arrogant and think we are in control of our lives. Instead, we should remember that every day we have is a gift from God.
In 2 Timothy 4, Paul was contemplating his own impending death. He knew that the end of his earthly life was drawing near. As he reflected on the days God had given him he made a bold statement in verse 7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Because of this, he went on to say, a glorious reward awaited him on the other side of eternity.
Paul’s criteria for a successful life, one pleasing to God and worthy of a crown, was that he kept the faith. It means that he stayed strong in his belief in God and the gospel. As he “numbered his days,” he didn’t list personal achievements like how many people he led to Christ, how many churches he planted, the number of days he spent imprisoned for the gospel, or any other of his life’s greatest works. “I am getting a crown,” he said, “because I kept the faith.” What does it mean to “keep the faith”? It isn’t about how many things we do or how many people we help. It is all about our steadfast faith. To “keep the faith” means to keep believing in God, even when things are hard. It’s like a fight against the sinful part of ourselves that wants to do wrong. And it’s like finishing a race by staying faithful to God until the very end.
Paul used two illustrations in this letter to describe keeping the faith…a fight and a race. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race.” These two illustrations tell us two things about keeping the faith. First, it must be hard. If he fought to continue in the faith, he must have struggled.
Jesus described it this way in Matthew 7:14, “Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” If few find it, it cannot be easy. It is the sinful flesh that makes it hard, which continually battles against God’s Spirit inside of us. Second, the illustration of a race shows us that keeping the faith means enduring to the end. In any race, running doesn’t earn an award, finishing does. Jesus said in Matthew 10:22 and 24:13 that whoever stands firm until the end will be saved.
So, the lesson for us is to keep the faith, just like Paul did. Let’s remember that it can be hard, but we need to fight against the sinful things and stay faithful to God. And let’s remember that it’s not just about starting the race, but about finishing it.

Thoughts for Reflection
Take some time to think about your own faith. Are you staying strong and trusting in God, even when things get tough? Doing so humbles and moves us to yield more fully to God, for whose sake we have been saved. Ask God to help you keep the faith and finish the race well.

Song
Fight the good fight with all thy might;
Christ is thy strength, and Christ thy right;
Lay hold on life and it shall be
Thy joy and crown eternally.

Run the straight race through God’s good grace;
Lift up thine eyes, and seek His face.
Life with its path before us lies;
Christ is the way, and Christ the prize

Prayer
Dear God, thank you for the example of Paul and his faithfulness. , I want to live the rest of my days on this earth fully surrendered to You I cannot do this if I don’t purposefully remember that life is short and that You control the length of my life. Help me to keep the faith and stay strong in my belief in you. When things are hard, give me the strength to fight against sin and keep trusting in you. In Jesus name, Amen.