This morning the pastor at my church talked about fearing God, taking Him and what He says seriously. Funny enough, the verse of the day on Biblegateway.com is Deuteronomy 13:4, “You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him.” This launches me into the story about why Tenacious Faith Blog has the name it does.
When I was younger, “tenacious” was one of my vocabulary words for homeschool. Since then, it has been my favorite word. Simultaneously, I wanted this blog to be about faith, about encouraging girls to grow closer to the Lord. I decided to combine the two words: Tenacious Faith.
I knew that “tenacious” meant dedicated, but looking a little closer into its meaning gets to the heart of this specific post. Mirriam-Webster has a couple definitions. Think about them in relation to a relationship with Jesus:
I want girls’ faith in Christ to adhere, to cling tight, tight, tight to Jesus. Our relationship with Him like any other relationship in our lives only lasts if we invest in it. Thankfully, Christ initiated this relationship on the cross and by believing in Him we enter into it. Through sun and storm, let’s draw nearer and nearer to the Founder of our Faith (Hebrews 12) and James 4:8 promises that He will draw near to us.
I want girls’ faith in Christ to be persistent in maintaining, adhering to, and seeking God’s Kingdom above everything else. Jesus said, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:45-46) . Another time, He instructed, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). Christ is King of kings and if we believe in Him, we are apart of His kingdom.
My pastor’s sermon and the verse, Deuteronomy 13:4, about fearing God and walking with Him is one part of having a tenacious faith. As my pastor quoted, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight” (Proverbs 9:10).
And all this, we realize is not in our own strength but in Christ’s strength. A very impactful verse to me is 2 Corinthians 12:9, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” So when we choose to fear God and to walk with Him with all tenacity, we know that it is by His grace that we make that choice. God truly deserves all our fear; He is Holy, above all, completely sufficient in and of and for Himself. We are dust, but God extends His grace to us. When we choose to follow Him, we get to walk in His grace. He is compassion and mercy and power. Him, we seek after. In Him, we put our faith in life and death. I hope that Tenacious Faith Blog encourages you in your walk with God, and that this post specifically encourages you to fear God, and pursue a tenacious faith given by God unto you by pressing into Him!
