Steadfast: At the Crossroads of Belief

Steadfast: At the Crossroads of Belief

Our Steadfast Devotional Series continues during Lent  . . .


Have you ever faced a crossroads?

Every person who interacts with Jesus encounters a crossroads of belief.

The defining question Jesus asked His disciples is the same one that confronts every human being today:

"Who do you say that I am?" (Matthew 16:15)

How you answer that question changes everything.

Encountering Jesus Forces a Decision

Throughout the Gospels a profound pattern appears where every story arrives at a moment of decision. 

Each person must decide what they believe about Jesus and whether they will fully trust Him.

Every life reaches the crossroads of belief.

Faith ignites when we encounter Jesus, but it endures because God Himself makes sustained belief possible. That is why we can remain steadfast even when our faith feels fragile.

We hear the echoes of three such encounters woven throughout my song With God All Things Are Possible — a song I wrote wrestling with the very challenges that require choosing to believe. [link]

1. Be Born Again

We begin with a traditional Lenten scripture, John 3:1-21, the account of Nicodemus, a high-status religious expert. He represents the archetypical intellectual seeker and embodies a dichotomy of conflicting interests. 

Nicodemus is an insider with something to lose, but his spiritual integrity compels him to understand the Jesus phenomenon. 

Coming secretly at night, his inquiry offered a profound insight: "No one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him."

The reply Jesus gave was puzzling: "No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again." (John 3:2-3)

2. Follow Me

Consider also the rich young ruler — outwardly successful, morally upright, and sincere in his search for what he still lacked — meaning and significance. "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Matthew 19:16–26)

Jesus answered him directly: "If you want to be perfect, go sell your possessions  . . . Then come, follow me."

3. Help My Unbelief

Finally, we see a desperate father pleading for his suffering son to be healed (Mark 9:23–24): "Lord, if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."

Jesus challenged his faltering faith, saying, "Everything is possible for one who believes." The man cried out in his pain:

"Lord, I believe—help my unbelief!"

Different circumstances.
Different dilemmas.
Different invitations.

The common denominator?

Every one faced a crossroads of belief.

With God All Things Are Possible

Jesus ultimately brought each situation to the same conclusion. Each person had to decide what to do with Jesus, and then follow through in a way that seemed humanly impossible.

For the rich young ruler to follow Jesus, he was asked to sell off his wealth. He could not bring himself to do it.

Jesus replied: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." (Matthew 19:24)

His followers were dismayed. If that is true, that seems like a disqualifier for many people.

"Who then can be saved?"

Jesus pointed them toward the truth that applies in every scenario:

"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)

We recognize the truth of Jesus, yet we lack the power to respond fully on our own.

When Faith Collides with Reality

The crossroads of belief does not end when faith begins.

After someone begins following Christ, more crossroads will appear.

Life brings situations that challenge belief. Unanswered prayers. Disappointment. Delay. Suffering. Confusion.

In those moments we feel the tension expressed in the father's cry:

"Lord, I believe—help my unbelief."

This is the prayer of someone standing in the gap between painful reality and divine promise, crying out to Jesus for the supernatural breakthrough that only God can bring.

Your Crossroads of Belief

Every person eventually stands at the crossroads of belief. Eventually the question becomes personal.

Yet, the invitation of Christ remains the same.

Come. Follow me. Be born again. Trust what only God can do.

The Double Movement of Salvation

But how does the impossible become possible?

Jesus explained to Nicodemus that new birth requires two realities: water and the Spirit.

The water represents our movement toward God — metanoia, the Greek word for repentance, a wholehearted turning toward God that is outwardly expressed through baptism.

God's movement toward us is fulfilled through His Spirit.

"Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." (John 3:5)

This is the double movement of salvation.

First, God always initiates. The most famous verse in all of Christendom reveals why:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

This is God's movement toward us. The Spirit brings new life from above for the salvation of the whole world.

Second, there is our response toward God. Humble repentance and acceptance of God's gift fulfilled in Christ.

"The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." (John 3:8)

When we say yes to God's invitation, this is how the impossible becomes possible.

A Question for You

Where are you today?

Are you standing at a crossroads of belief?

Perhaps you are asking the question of Nicodemus: "How can this be?"

Maybe  you are wrestling like the father in Mark 9: "Lord, I want to believe—help my unbelief."

Or perhaps you sense Jesus inviting you, as He invited the rich young ruler: "Come. Follow me."

In a culture where it is easy to acknowledge Jesus as a good moral man, the crossroads asks something deeper — radical allegiance.

In the natural, your dilemma may seem impossible.

But the Gospel meets us precisely at these moments. God will sustain what He begins.

You can remain steadfast because with God all things are possible.

When you find yourself at the crossroads — keep the faith.

Prayer:

Lord, we come to you at the crossroads. We choose to believe you are able. What we cannot do, you can. We choose to follow where you lead. With you, all things are possible. Thank you Lord. Amen.

Listen to "With God All Things Are Possible" on Bandcamp 

PS: Every life reaches the crossroads of belief — that reflection inspired my song With God All Things Are Possible.

The song explores the same tensions between faith and doubt, and the promise that what is impossible for us becomes possible with God.

Listen to the song here → [link]

(The bridge asks the same question Nicodemus asked: "How can one be born again? How does this happen?")

ABOUT THE STEADFAST DEVOTIONAL SERIES: 

Since the beginning of this year, we have been exploring what it means to live with steadfast faith. Steadfastness is a character trait essential to growing in spiritual maturity. These companion essays include:

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