Unwavering

Thursday, June 25, 2020
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:22-23

Unwavering We all know that because we are Christians, we are not exempt from trials and tribulations. So far in 2020 most of us have had more than our fair share of trials. Just turning on the TV or getting on social media is enough to send us over the edge as things just keep coming and piling up on top of each other. God knows our hearts and knew that we would face these times. He tried to prepare us by telling us we would have trials and teaching us to have faith in Him. Unfortunately, faith is never tested in good times. It always takes a trial to test the strength and endurance of our faith.

Not only does the Bible say to have faith in times of uncertainty, but it says Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering…That is where the really hard part comes in. When we have to stand trials for a long time, it is hard not to waver. When we see one thing after the other coming full speed ahead, it is hard not to waver. When we think about what COULD happen, it is hard not to waver. When we get a diagnosis that scares us, it is hard not to waver. When so much bad stuff seems to be happening, with no break, how can we hold fast? When the unemployment lasts and we don’t know how we will pay the bills, how do we not waver? When our loved one succumbs to disease and their only healing is not this side of heaven, how do we not lose hope?

How to Hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering…

• Pray – Spend a lot of time on your knees.  Ask God to help you be strong and to not waver in your faith.  Ask God to give you the strength to be an example to those around you who are watching how you handle this storm.
• Study and learn – Study and learn all you can about God. Read your Bible, do Bible studies, find a mentor, watch sermons, listen to podcasts. Saturate your life with Him and His word. Feed your hunger with the things God has done and left for us to learn about in His Word.
• Find some friends – Find a support group, a group of friends that you can have coffee with, or even just one close friend. Let them know how you are struggling and ask them to pray for you. Find out what they may be struggling with. We need each other and one of the most beautiful gifts that God has given us is the gift of friendship.
• Remember the Promises of God – You have learned about them, now remember them. Remember what He did for the people in the Bible. Remember what He has done for you in your own life. Be on the lookout for His hand in your life right now – even though it may not be the “big” thing that you are waiting on Him to fix.  Often, I see His hand in my life and I know He is reminding me that He is in control. Look for your reminders. They are there.

Standing the tests that come our way and holding fast to what we believe – unwavering - is impossible if all we see are the circumstances of our lives and the world around us. The weight of circumstances will crush us. But the promises of God, that stand the test of time, will carry us over, around, and through any set of circumstances that could come. Our human minds cannot fathom a solution, but nothing is stronger than our God and nothing is impossible with Him.  Pray, study, lean on others, remember, and trust – unwavering.

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.  1 Peter 1:6-9