KEEP ON SERVING JEHOVAH WITH A STEADFAST HEART

                   "My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast." -PSALM 57:7.


JEHOVAH can make us steadfast in  the Christian faith, so that we can cling to true Christianity as his dedicated servants.  (Romans 14:4)  Therefore, we can have conviction like that of the psalmist David, who was moved to sing:  "My heart is steadfast, O God."  (Psalm 108:1) If our heart is steadfast, we will be motivated to fulfill our dedication to God. And by looking to him for guidance and strength, we can prove to be immovable, firm in determination and belief as integrity keepers,"  always having plenty to do in the work of the Lord." -1 Corinthians 15:58.

In exhortation addressed to Jesus' followers in ancient Corinth but certainly applicable to present-day Christians, the apostle Paul said:  "Stay awake, stand firm in the faith, carry on as men, grow mighty."  (1 Corinthians 16:13)  In Greek each of these imperatives is in the present tense, thus urging continuous action. What is the import of this admonition?

We can "stay awake" spiritually by opposing the Devil and staying close to God.  (James 4:7, 8) Reliance upon Jehovah enables us to keep our ranks unbroken and to 'stand firm in the Christian faith.'  We-including the many women among us-"carry on as men" by serving God courageously as Kingdom proclaimers.   (Psalm 68:11)  We "grow mighty" by continually looking to our heavenly Father for strength to do his will. -Philippians 4:13.

We took our stand for the true faith when we made an unreserved dedication to Jehovah and symbolized it by undergoing water immersion.  But what led up to our baptism?  First we took in accurate knowledge of God's Word.  (John 17:3)  This built faith and moved us to repent, manifesting true sorrow over past wrongdoing.  (Acts 3:19; Hebrews 11:6) Next came our conversion, for we turned away from wrong practices in order to pursue a life in harmony with God's will.  (Romans 12:2; Ephesians  4:23, 24)  This was followed by a wholehearted dedication to Jehovah in prayer.  (Matthew 16:24; 1 Peter 2:21)  We made a request to God for a good conscience and were baptized in symbol of our dedication to him. (1 Peter 3:21) Bearing these steps in mind will help us  to remain focused on the need for continuous effort to live up to our dedication and keep on serving Jehovah with a steadfast heart.

Next time: Continue Your Quest for Accurate Knowledge

The Watchtower, 2002