December 26, 2022
Conclusion: Will You Ride or Die?
I could go on and on, but I’ve run out of time. There are so many more—Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets. . . . Through acts of faith, they toppled kingdoms, made justice work, took the promises for themselves. They were protected from lions, fires, and sword thrusts, turned disadvantage to advantage, won battles, routed alien armies. Women received their loved ones back from the dead. There were those who, under torture, refused to give in and go free, preferring something better: resurrection. Others braved abuse and whips, and, yes, chains and dungeons. We have stories of those who were stoned, sawed in two, murdered in cold blood; stories of vagrants wandering the earth in animal skins, homeless, friendless, powerless—the world didn’t deserve them!—making their way as best they could on the cruel edges of the world. -Hebrews 11:32-38 (The Message)
We have reached the end of our time together in this Bible Plan. For weeks we've examined many men made similar choices to ride or die with reckless abandon for God throughout history. Each one chose to ride and die with God when faced with life’s tough decisions and situations.
They were all ordinary men, just like you and me. But their decision to ride for God raised them from the status of ordinary guys to extraordinary living legends in God’s Kingdom. Just like us, they faced trials, struggles, temptations, and tendencies that had the potential to destroy their walk with God. But each of them stood through the tests and became men we can pattern our spiritual journeys after.
These are just a few stories. Hebrews 11, which started this devotional, says what could easily be said about this book. I don’t have time to tell you about every man and woman of God in the Bible and throughout history who has made that decision that, no matter what, I will ride or die with God! History is full of them. You know what, you could also join their ranks as you decide to ride or die with God!
I hope this book has inspired you to make the choices they made, that no matter what they encountered, what trials they faced, or whatever God required of them, they would ride or die with Him!
As you daily choose to live with a ride-or-die attitude, you could be the legend future generations admire.
This is what it is all about. Just as they rode and died with God, inspiring us to follow their example, and we need to do the same for the next generation.
Just as we look to those who have gone before us, they need to be able to look to us for inspiration. The next generation needs us to demonstrate how to be a ride or die Christian. We can become spiritual legends for the next generation, and God’s Kingdom will grow stronger.
We have a world of young men and women growing up without a strong, Christ-like male role model. We can be a living example of how to walk with God, surrender completely to Him, and trust Him no matter what. They can learn from us how to hear God’s voice and respond to His call. They can see us hear God’s challenge and watch us fist-pump God and say, “No matter what, I will ride and die with you!” and be inspired to do the same.
So I end this year’s plan with the same questions I asked earlier. Have you been challenged this year to choose to have a ride-or-die attitude with God no matter what you are going through? Will you decide that there is nothing God could ask of you that you would not be willing to do? If it means you will go to the ends of the earth for God and taking risks for Him, will you stand by Him and for Him no matter the cost? Will you ride with Him even if it ends up killing you?
I want to end this plan with the same challenge we started out asking. Will you make a statement of extreme loyalty and devotion to God, no matter what He does, where He leads, or what He asks of you?
Will you ride or die with God? I know my decision, what is yours?
Today’s Scripture: All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us. (Hebrews 11:39-40, NLT)
Written by: Jamie Holden, Founder Mantour Ministries
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.