My friend, hold fast.
My friend,
What a broken world we live in.
Relationships are being tested. Political lines are being drawn in households.
Beliefs are being questioned. Doubts are arising.
It is a challenging time to be a college student in America. For many of us, trying to discover where our beliefs lie, where our values meet up with what we're being educated on.. it feels that we are being pulled in a hundred directions.
Perhaps it is more accurate for me to say that it is a challenging time to be anyone in America right now.
Neighbors are fighting neighbors. Crime is everywhere. Lies seem common and justice seems rare.
No matter where you stand on any of the million disagreements occurring in our country right now, I hope you can agree with me that our world is in a sad, sad state.
We live in a sinful world. It is apparent everywhere you turn.
And we are constantly facing the consequences of this sinful world.
Our time is filled with tearing each other down and building our own selves up. We choose not to help our neighbor because it is not convenient for us. We watch new stories of murder and abduction and we hug each other a little tighter.
And then we sit and wonder, is this it?
But, my friend, this, in fact, is not it.
This is not the world that we are destined to be in forever, because this is not how things are supposed to be.
Our hearts are longing for eternal glory.
We are image bearers seeking for our creator.
To hold fast to the promise that this is not the end.
That because of Jesus, because of His death that has covered every sin to ever exist, and because of His gift of unmerited grace to us, there is a beautiful, perfect world to come.
We are reminded, just as Jesus told His disciples in John 14,
And so we hold fast to the hope that this is not the end.
That the cruelness of this world is not where we anchor our hope.
But friend, we must also hold fast to the knowledge that the Lord is sovereign.
That in the midst of the chaotic world where we don't understand, He still does.
He does not make mistakes. As the words that Isaiah penned many, many, years ago still ring true, we remember that He is in control.
"Remember the former things, those of long ago;
And so we must hold fast to the peace that is given to us from that fact.
That when our hearts are broken and sadness seems to reign, He still rules.
And friend, we must also hold fast to each other, to other disciples who are seeking to find the hope and joy in this world alongside us.
We must continually strive to encourage each other. To push each other along. To be quick to listen and slow to speak. We must share our struggles and lean on each other. We must rejoice together over excitement. We must cling together and lift each other up, for the glory of the Lord.
We must remember to love those who are not easy to love. We must be careful to abhor evil, but we must also be careful to invite the most unwelcome person to dine at our table. We must step away from the social media screens and have a physical conversation with those who are hurting.
For weren't we all at outsiders as some point of time? As Paul wrote in his letter to Ephesus, weren't we all once without hope?
So, my friend, that's where I am at today.
I am reminded that even though it seems in our world today that sin reigns, it does not.
The Lord does. And He holds fast to me.
What a sweet comfort that is.
So I leave you today with this, the lyrics to the hymn "He Will Hold Me Fast", written by Ada Habershon in the early 1900s.
May you be reminded that even in the chaos of our world, we can hold fast.
Because He holds us fast. And He does not let go.
When I fear my faith will fail
Christ will hold me fast
When the tempter would prevail
He will hold me fast
I could never keep my hold
Through life’s fearful path
For my love is often cold
He must hold me fast
He will hold me fast
He will hold me fast
For my Savior loves me so
He will hold me fast
Those He saves are His delight
Christ will hold me fast
Precious in His holy sight
He will hold me fast
He’ll not let my soul be lost
His promises shall last
Bought by Him at such a cost
He will hold me fast
He will hold me fast
He will hold me fast
For my Savior loves me so
He will hold me fast
For my life He bled and died
Christ will hold me fast
Justice has been satisfied
He will hold me fast
Raised with Him to endless life
He will hold me fast
Till our faith is turned to sight
When he comes at last
Sincerely,
Alana
What a broken world we live in.
Relationships are being tested. Political lines are being drawn in households.
Beliefs are being questioned. Doubts are arising.
It is a challenging time to be a college student in America. For many of us, trying to discover where our beliefs lie, where our values meet up with what we're being educated on.. it feels that we are being pulled in a hundred directions.
Perhaps it is more accurate for me to say that it is a challenging time to be anyone in America right now.
Neighbors are fighting neighbors. Crime is everywhere. Lies seem common and justice seems rare.
No matter where you stand on any of the million disagreements occurring in our country right now, I hope you can agree with me that our world is in a sad, sad state.
We live in a sinful world. It is apparent everywhere you turn.
And we are constantly facing the consequences of this sinful world.
Our time is filled with tearing each other down and building our own selves up. We choose not to help our neighbor because it is not convenient for us. We watch new stories of murder and abduction and we hug each other a little tighter.
And then we sit and wonder, is this it?
But, my friend, this, in fact, is not it.
This is not the world that we are destined to be in forever, because this is not how things are supposed to be.
Our hearts are longing for eternal glory.
We are image bearers seeking for our creator.
And my friend we need to be reminded to hold fast.
To hold fast to the promise that this is not the end.
That because of Jesus, because of His death that has covered every sin to ever exist, and because of His gift of unmerited grace to us, there is a beautiful, perfect world to come.
"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions, it is by grace you have been saved." Ephesians 2:4-5
We are reminded, just as Jesus told His disciples in John 14,
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also maybe where I am." John 14:1-3
And so we hold fast to the hope that this is not the end.
That the cruelness of this world is not where we anchor our hope.
But friend, we must also hold fast to the knowledge that the Lord is sovereign.
That in the midst of the chaotic world where we don't understand, He still does.
He does not make mistakes. As the words that Isaiah penned many, many, years ago still ring true, we remember that He is in control.
"Remember the former things, those of long ago;
I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me.
I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say 'My purpose will stand and I will do all that I please'.
From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.
What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do."
Isaiah 46:9-11
And so we must hold fast to the peace that is given to us from that fact.
That when our hearts are broken and sadness seems to reign, He still rules.
And friend, we must also hold fast to each other, to other disciples who are seeking to find the hope and joy in this world alongside us.
"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and and good works, not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near." Hebrews 10:23-25
We must continually strive to encourage each other. To push each other along. To be quick to listen and slow to speak. We must share our struggles and lean on each other. We must rejoice together over excitement. We must cling together and lift each other up, for the glory of the Lord.
And friend, we must also hold fast to our command to live out the gospel in this world.
We must remember to love those who are not easy to love. We must be careful to abhor evil, but we must also be careful to invite the most unwelcome person to dine at our table. We must step away from the social media screens and have a physical conversation with those who are hurting.
For weren't we all at outsiders as some point of time? As Paul wrote in his letter to Ephesus, weren't we all once without hope?
"Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." Ephesians 2:12-13
So, my friend, that's where I am at today.
I am reminded that even though it seems in our world today that sin reigns, it does not.
The Lord does. And He holds fast to me.
What a sweet comfort that is.
So I leave you today with this, the lyrics to the hymn "He Will Hold Me Fast", written by Ada Habershon in the early 1900s.
May you be reminded that even in the chaos of our world, we can hold fast.
Because He holds us fast. And He does not let go.
When I fear my faith will fail
Christ will hold me fast
When the tempter would prevail
He will hold me fast
I could never keep my hold
Through life’s fearful path
For my love is often cold
He must hold me fast
He will hold me fast
He will hold me fast
For my Savior loves me so
He will hold me fast
Those He saves are His delight
Christ will hold me fast
Precious in His holy sight
He will hold me fast
He’ll not let my soul be lost
His promises shall last
Bought by Him at such a cost
He will hold me fast
He will hold me fast
He will hold me fast
For my Savior loves me so
He will hold me fast
For my life He bled and died
Christ will hold me fast
Justice has been satisfied
He will hold me fast
Raised with Him to endless life
He will hold me fast
Till our faith is turned to sight
When he comes at last
Sincerely,
Alana
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