Keep On

A young preacher—still green and full of questions—heard that a legendary evangelist, now well into his late seventies, would be speaking in a nearby town. This was a man he had admired for years, someone who had faithfully preached God’s Word across decades and continents. Eager to learn from the seasoned veteran, the young preacher cleared his calendar and made the trip, hungry for wisdom.

After the service, a long line of people formed, waiting to speak with the evangelist. Hoping to glean some insight, the young preacher quietly stood nearby, trying not to draw attention to himself. He leaned in, listening intently to catch whatever golden nuggets of advice this spiritual giant might offer.

The first person stepped forward and poured out their heart, sharing a burden they had carried for years. The elderly evangelist, frail and hunched, listened with quiet intensity. Then he gently took the person’s hand, looked them in the eye, and said warmly, “Keep on.”

The next person came. Another struggle, another heartfelt plea. Again, the old man listened patiently, then took their hand and said with tender conviction, “Keep on.”

Again and again, it was the same. The evangelist gave every person his full attention—like they were the only one in the room—and to each one, he gave the same two words: “Keep on.”

The young preacher grew puzzled. Was this it? Just “keep on”? He had hoped for something deeper, something profound—maybe a story, a strategy, a secret. But all he heard was: Keep on.

Years later, that young preacher—now older, wearier, and with more scars than he ever expected—looked back on that night. He remembered driving home disappointed. “That’s it?” he had muttered to himself. “Keep on? That’s the best he’s got?”

But after enduring the heartbreaks, betrayals, sleepless nights, unanswered prayers, and the long, hidden obedience of ministry, he finally understood. It came to him not as a thunderbolt, but as a quiet realization. What greater advice is there for someone on the edge of giving up?

Those two small words weren’t a brush-off. They were a lifeline.

He had read Galatians 6:9 hundreds of times, but it hit him differently now:
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

There it was—hidden in plain sight. We will reap a harvest… if we do not give up. The harvest is God’s responsibility. Not giving up is ours.

And suddenly, the old evangelist’s words came flooding back with power and clarity. The young preacher—now no longer quite so young—whispered to himself, “Keep on. That’s it. That’s literally it.”

When you’re out of strength…
When you don’t have the answers…
When hope seems far away…
Keep on.

Because the harvest is coming.