JESUS SPEAKING
“What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in king’s houses. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.'” (Matthew 11: 7 – 10)
FAITHFUL THOUGHTS
A man named John the Baptist once lived in the Judean wilderness. He rejected worldly comforts (such as soft clothing); choosing instead to wear course animal fur and eat wild locusts and honey. As he baptized people in preparation for Christ’s arrival, he remained bold at all times. He wasn’t “A reed shaken by the wind.” Those who are anchored in Christ do not waffle, waiver, or bend. Instead, they stay firm because they are rooted in God who cannot be moved.
As the story goes, in 2025, a young woman named Paige Rogers was working her shift at a coffee shop in Kentucky. When her coworkers discovered that she attended a Christian college, they began asking questions. They asked her if she was saving herself for marriage. She answered yes. They continued questioning her; which eventually prompted Paige to share her testimony; she spoke about how God had saved her and transformed her life. One of the coworkers confessed to being in a relationship with two people at the same time (apparently one of them was of the same sex.) This person asked that if she became a Christian would she have to stop loving them? Paige respectfully told her that homosexuality was a sin. Nearly two weeks later, Paige received a text from her employer informing her that she had been fired because her conversation was offensive and unwelcomed.
Like Paige, and John the Baptist, Christians around the world are called to remain firm and bold. We must never waiver or falter in the face of adversity or persecution. We are not to be shaken like a reed in the wind. If we stay grounded in Christ, our eternal foundation, then we can share the truth in love without being hesitant or fearful.
“Lord Heavenly Father, establish us in the faith, that we would remain anchored in the truth. As we spread the gospel message to others, may we never compromise our beliefs or alter the doctrines You have established for Your Church. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you!