January 4

So He said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples. — John 8:31 BSB

Starting something is not enough; we must continue. Simply signing up for a class won’t make someone a scholar—they must stay with it until they’ve learned all the lessons. Someone who has observed life for many years says that success often depends on the ability to keep going. Most failures happen because people give up too soon. Thousands begin to follow Christ, but when difficulties arise, they lose heart and fall away.

To remain in Christ’s word means we must keep obeying Him—not just for today, but for tomorrow and every day after that, until the end.

There’s another way to abide in Christ’s word—by clinging to His promises. In a forest, birds build nests hidden among the leaves, and when storms come or night falls, they fly to their nests for safety. In the same way, God’s promises are scattered throughout the Bible, like hidden nests in a great forest. When trouble comes, we can run to these promises and find shelter, resting there until the storm passes. There’s no fortress in this world as secure as the words of Christ.