It was said of Jesus, “He set His face steadfastly to go to Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:51) I got that verse for myself this morning in prayer. “Steadfast.” That’s not a word you read in the New York Times or hear on Fox News very much. But that’s how the gospel of Luke described Jesus of Nazareth as He moved towards Jerusalem, after 3 years of ministry, where He knew He would experience the death of the cross.

I’ve been feeling a little tired today. I’m very thankful for my life but I’ve come to a place where I feel compelled every day to really make the very most of the time and energy I have in order to plow it into the work of the Lord that He’s made possible for me. The Lord said “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mat. 11:30) But He also said to His disciples, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luk. 9:23) And I’m exceedingly thankful that the Lord has led me into the present ministry I have of producing videos in foreign languages about the prophecies of Daniel. And in this ministry, it often becomes like what Paul said of himself, “I die daily.” (I Cor. 15:31)

There’s joy in our labors but they can be real labors. So many of us have spent years working in some slavish, mundane 9-to-5 job, under sometimes rather cruel taskmasters, mostly serving Mammon in order that we can feed our families and pay bills. So, how much more should we put our whole heart into our service for God in the ministry He opens for us?

And it can come down to what can be called steadfastness. It may not be part of our character but it can be a grace given us by the Lord Himself to just not cave in to fatigue, weariness, distraction and all the things that can deter us from the heavenly vision set before us.

I guess if you don’t have the heavenly vision, it’s so much more difficult to have steadfastness. Solomon said, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Prov. 29:18) and of course for so many Christians, their personal vision of God’s will in their lives is not really full or complete.

Jesus doubtless had the heavenly vision, even if in His case that vision was His crucifixion at Jerusalem for the sins of mankind. Paul said of himself, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19) and certainly Christ was the greatest example of that. He was steadfast. He “poured out His soul unto death.” (Isaiah 53:12)

But for most of us, it’s not the death of the cross or that of a martyr that’s before us. It’s the many little deaths each day , of taking up our cross each day and living out our lives in obedience to the will of God. Most churches will teach you the part about being comforted by God but fewer emphasize the Scriptures teaching us to comfort others.

Many know the most famous verse in the Bible, John 3:16. But fewer have embraced I John 3:16 which says, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” Jesus set His face steadfastly to lay down His life for us. We should take it as our calling and commission, each and every one of us, to lay down our lives for our brethren and for the lost and bedarkened souls of this world.

As has often happened, I came back from my prayer walk this morning to write up this lesson the Lord spoke to me about and laid on my heart. It’s a little like another verse that says, “As the outward man perishes, the inward man is renewed day by day.” (II Cor. 4:6) And “As your day, so shall your strength be.” (Deut. 33:25) Or as some say in a more secular sense nowadays, “it’s better to wear out that to rust out.”

But I do think, if more Christians went further in the heavenly vision of truly laying down their lives for the brethren, for feeding the sheep, for witnessing and wining souls or whatever step the Lord is leading in their lives that they have not followed, then the Lord would greatly strengthen them for the task.

God can and will give us all the steadfastness that can come when we’ve embraced the vision and have committed ourselves to a life of greater sacrifice in order to bring His life and love to this present world. May the Lord truly help every one of us who believe in Him to not only believe but also to obey Him in steadfastly going the extra mile for the sake of others and in service to our Lord and God.