TODAY’S INSPIRATION:HOLD ON…

Sometimes it’s hard to hold on to God’s promises and not believe the lies of the enemy when he tells you that God has forsaken you. Your body is constantly telling you that you are in pain, your bank account shows you are low on funds, your friends and family seem to have deserted you. The world gets darker day by day. Yes, it can be hard if we focus on the enemies lies and what we see and feel. However, focusing on God’s truth is how we hold on.

“For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

The truth is that Jesus suffered the cross, completely, and absolutely alone because He loves us. He endured this for our spiritual healing which leads to our physical healing as well. Sickness, disease, pain, and death are realities in this world because of sin. While Jesus is still a miracle worker and heals today, it is not always God’s will to heal us physically in the right now. The ultimate healing awaits those of us who know Christ when we join Him. Which is why we all need to be less preoccupied with our physical healing in this world and a lot more concerned with our spiritual condition. Revelation 21:4 describes the true healing we should all be longing for; “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” What we must remember when we approach God for healing is 1 John 5:14-15, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have what we asked of Him. When we focus our hearts on Christ and the place He has prepared for us, we can hold on.

“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities. Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5-6)

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:3)  

The enemy will have us worry about what we don’t have, no money, no friends, no spouse, no job, etc. God says be thankful for what we do have. He will satisfy our every need. He will never leave or forsake us. He is our Source, everything else is resources that He allows us to borrow here on this earth. He is the owner of all things, we are just the managers. The scriptures remind us of who God is, what He will do for us, and why we can trust Him. When we remember the promises of the God who cannot lie, we can hold on.

“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Mathew 6:31-33)

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

“so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.” (Hebrews 6:18)

No matter what our situation or circumstances, God promised He would never leave or forsake us. He is with us through the storms, the pain, the loneliness, every step of our journey. He said He would protect us and be our refuge in troubled times. He is our provider. He is our strength when we feel we can’t go on. He said His grace is sufficient to see us through. He promised to give us peace even in the worst of circumstances. No matter how out of control the world or our lives feel, God is always in control. He is the same God when we are in the valley that was with us on the mountaintop. The best promise of God is that we have the victory. Our God has already won the victory, the devil is defeated! When we remember this, we can hold on.  

“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) NLV

“Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” (Deuteronomy 31:6-8)

“Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:13)

Holding on to God’s promises can be hard when we allow our situations to take our eyes from God and place them on what is threatening to overwhelm us. This is when it is important that we hold on to God and remember His promises to see us through. When the Israelites reached the border of the promised land, God instructed Moses to, “Send out for yourself men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites.” (Numbers 13) When the reports came back, it wasn’t what they wanted to hear, so the doubts crept in. We don’t want to be like the Israelites, who forgot the promises God had made. They forgot how God had saved them and kept them time and time again. They had faced battles and witnessed God’s promises manifest, they had seen the glory of God! But still when the Lord told them to go take possession of what He had given them, they looked at what they could see and how hard it would be instead of trusting the one who has sustained them every step of the way. Their focus changed and they begin to rely on their own understanding to guide them and forgot God’s promises. They forgot all the times they survived because God provided for them over and over again. Which is why a whole generation never got to see the promised land. Only two faithful, promise believing men, Caleb and Joshua got to enter into the promised land.

“Because they have not followed me wholeheartedly, not one of those who were twenty years old or more when they came up out of Egypt will see the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, not one except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they followed the LORD wholeheartedly.” (Numbers 32:11-12)

At times we can be like the Israelites, when things get rough, God’s promises go out the window. The “what ifs” and “I can’t” creep in and takes our focus from what is promised and crumbles our faith. We must look back at all the times that God came through for us and then recenter our focus on Him and His promises. It doesn’t matter what people think. Don’t worry about what the doctor’s report says. Don’t focus on how hard the journey is because God already promised to go before us. We cannot trust our own eyes to guide us. We must chose to put our trust in God and in God’s promises in spite of what it feels or looks like. That is how we hold on. Love and Blessings…

“Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. he one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name.” (Revelation 3:10-12)