The Living God

In his first letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul writes:

"This is why we work so hard and keep on going, because we have put our hope in the living God." — 1 Timothy 4:10

These words come from a man who had endured beatings, shipwrecks, rejection, and prison. And yet, he pressed on. Why? Because his hope was not in outcomes or comfort, but in the living God. In this letter, Paul isn’t just offering theology; he’s revealing the very source of his endurance.

To understand the weight of this statement, it's helpful to know who Timothy was to Paul. Timothy was a young church leader, Paul’s spiritual son and trusted co-labourer. This letter is deeply personal—an encouragement to keep going, rooted in faith, written by someone who had every reason to quit but never did.

There is power in those three words: the living God. They remind us that God is not distant or detached. He is present. He sees us. He knows us. He walks with us. And it is this nearness—this unshakable hope—that gives us the strength to keep going.

"This is why we toil and strive," Paul writes. In other words: this is why we don’t give up. We press through hardship. We persevere through silence. We sacrifice, even when there’s no applause. Because our hope isn’t in what fades—it’s in the One who lives.

What Do We Really Believe?

If someone asked us today, “What do you really believe in?” how would we respond?

It’s easy to say, “I believe in God,” when life is going well. But what about when prayers go unanswered? When healing doesn’t come? When the silence stretches long? When what we wished doesn't come true?

That’s when belief becomes more than words—it becomes a choice. A place to stand when nothing else feels steady. We can know facts about God, just like we know how planes fly—and still be afraid to get on board.

Knowledge alone doesn’t move us—trust does.

It’s the same with faith. We can read scripture, attend church, say the right things—but belief shows up when we say: “Even now, Lord, I trust You.”But let’s be clear: faith is not blind belief. It may begin in the heart, but we are called to seek God with all our heart, soul, and mind. We’re not expected to ignore doubts. But we’re invited to bring them to Him.

Ask your questions. Wrestle. Read. Pray honestly. Seek Him in the silence. Lay your fears at His feet. We may only see a fragment, but He sees the whole story. Faith is not the absence of questions—it’s trusting while we ask them.

Faith That Moves Without Sight

Hebrews 11:1 says: “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

Faith doesn’t ignore reality—it trusts God within it. When Thomas doubted, Jesus didn’t scold him—He showed him His wounds. But then He said:

“You believe because you have seen Me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)

That blessing is for us—for those who still believe when answers don’t come right away, when the path is unclear, when all we have is a whisper of grace. We haven’t seen the wounds. We haven’t touched His hands. Yet we trust.

Once again, faith isn’t passive. It asks, seeks, learns, and surrenders. It moves forward—not because we see clearly, but because when know He does.

Let Belief Shape Our Lives

True belief doesn’t stay in the mind—it transforms how we live.

We don’t need goosebumps to know the Holy Spirit is near. We don’t need full understanding to rest in God’s promises. Belief says: “God, I trust You—even here.”

It shapes our decisions. Changes our priorities. It gives peace when the world offers panic. Joy when circumstances give sorrow. Faith doesn’t always remove the pain—but it gives us strength to keep walking through it.

Where Will We Anchor Our Hope?

Every day, we have a choice: Will we keep striving in our own strength—or will we rest in the One who holds it all?

When our hope is in the living God, even our hardest days hold purpose. Waiting becomes holy. Battles become testimonies. So let our faith be more than a word. Let it shape how we live. Let it be why we keep going.

“This is why we work so hard and keep on going, because we have put our hope in the living God.”