ARE YOU HOLDING ONTO GOD THROUGH HIS WORD AND SPIRIT?

Holding onto Him brings great reward, well worth any sacrifice you might have to make.

Eternal Perspectives               by Sally Bair

Holding on

How are your New Year’s resolutions coming along? Like many of us, have you already given up?

I went through some rebellious years at one time, almost abandoning my faith in God. Almost but not quite, as I sometimes felt like I clung to Him with my little finger.

Perhaps you’ve lost your hold of your belief in God. Perhaps, like me, you returned with heartfelt repentance that has brought you closer than ever to Him. You’re not alone. The Bible tells of people chosen to be leaders, full of wisdom, those who have walked away from their faith and returned in humility. Samson, for one, though dedicated to God’s service by his parents, succumbed to temptation. His actions led to his downfall, yet at the last moment he returned to the Lord in faith. It didn’t save his physical life but did result in victory of the Israelites over their enemy. Tenuous holds on God can lead to broken relationships, dangerous situations and perhaps even death, as in Samson’s care.

We don’t have to lose our hold on God with such drastic, dramatic results. But losing hold in any sense can become our spiritual downfall. That’s why God’s Word issues warnings to us. They tell us, “Hold on!”

“Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; keep her, for she is your life.” (Proverbs 4:13) God’s instruction—His wisdom—is worth holding onto. It gives us light and life.

“For my people have … forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.” (Jeremiah 2:13) When we lose our hold on God we become like leaky vessels, unable to hold the valuable, life-giving water of His Word and presence.

Paul says it another way, telling the people of Corinth to “…hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:2) Paul started the church there with the truth about Jesus as the eternal Son of God who came to save them from sin. He meant for them to continue in that faith. God wants us to keep holding on to our faith in Him, also.

To hold on means to fasten upon, to be constant, to withstand. When we fasten ourselves to Christ, constant in our dependency on Him, He will help us withstand anything that comes our way. And when we fail, we can be assured of His grace and forgiveness at the first sign of our repentance.

Lord, we want to keep holding onto You, for without You we are nothing. Keep us constant in our faith and in our resolve to serve You. In Jesus’ name, amen.