On the mountainside of Mount Rushmore, the faces of four presidents stand chiseled and unchanging, carved deeply into the granite stone as a monument to history. Rain or shine, they endure with silent strength. This image serves as a solid illustration of the kind of commitment God desires—a steadfastness etched deeply into our souls, unwavering and resolute.
Isaiah speaks of such determination in his own life. He writes, “For the Lord God will help Me; therefore I will not be disgraced; therefore I have set My face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed” (Isaiah 50:7 NKJV). The word for flint in Hebrew – כַּחַלָּמִישׁ (ka-chalamish) – “like flint” or “like hard stone” reflects a spirit of determination in Isaiah that he credits to God’s presence. Isaiah’s words reflect a heart committed to God’s purpose, one that would not be swayed by fear, rejection, or hardship.
Jesus, our perfect example, demonstrated this when He “steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51 NKJV). When Jesus “set His face” toward Jerusalem, the Greek word ἔστηρισεν (esterisen) implies that He was resolutely determined, almost as if “fixing” or “anchoring” His entire being in the direction He was going. This unwavering decision was not casual or momentary but a fully committed and unwavering focus. It is sad that too often many so-called followers of Jesus set their faces in determination to avoid the cross. Thankfully Jesus walked forward, knowing full well the suffering that awaited Him, yet resolute in His mission to fulfill the Father’s will and become the Savior of mankind. This is the heart of one who serves God unflinchingly, undeterred by pain, loss, or opposition.
David Livingstone, the legendary Scottish explorer, responded to a church or society that wanted to send him help in his mission efforts in Africa. They asked if there were good roads to where he was working. David sent a message back, “If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don’t want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all.”
Today, God calls us to that same steadfastness—to be men and women with faces like flint, unyielding in our resolve to serve in His kingdom. This means standing for truth even when it’s unpopular, loving others even when it’s difficult, and pursuing holiness even when the world is running immorally rampant. We need believers—field workers, Bible translators, community development facilitators, teachers, day laborers, and many other unsung heroes whose dedication to God’s mission is so set that it becomes, like the faces on the mountain, unchanging and unwavering through every storm and sorrow.
Pray and ask God for the strength to carve this resolve into our spirits. May we have faces set like flint, unbreakable in our desire to follow Him and to complete the mission we have been called to, whatever the cost.
— Harold R. Troyer