Hold On!

The world seems to be getting darker and darker. There is so much fear and dread around. We need to hold onto God!

These are tough times.
Uncertain times.
Hard times.
Worrisome times.
Crazy times. 

I do not know where you stand, but I need to tell you to HOLD ON!

No matter what you are facing…

No matter where you are…

Don’t let the current uncertainty stop you from being positive!

Hold on! Don’t give up. Don’t give in.

Galatians 6:9… 

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Deuteronomy 31:8…

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Isaiah 41:10…

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Joshua 1:9…

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Do not fear! Be strong! Be brave! Hold on to God!

Persevere. Endure!

Don’t quit. Hold on!

2 Corinthians 4:8-9…

“We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.”

You may have been knocked down, but don’t give up. Don’t give in. You can get back up. You have what it takes. Keep looking up. Keep looking to Jesus. Keep your eye on the prize.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18…

“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”

Look up! Look to Jesus. Look forward. Don’t just focus on the storm. It is temporary. It is subject to change. The storm will pass over. Look beyond the storm. Look to things that are eternal.

You may be facing an impossible situation.

Know this: God can may a way!

Matthew 19:26…

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

All things are possible with God. He is in control. 

What are you looking at?

Often, we look in all the wrong places when life gets tough. 

You need to…

LOOK UP!

LOOK TO JESUS!

LOOK FORWARD!

John 8:12…

“Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

Philippians 4:8…

“Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

I need to encourage you to look up even when everything is down.

It is so easy to get despondent when you look at all the troubles around us. But fix your thoughts on things above. Look up. Look to Jesus.  

Look on the bright side of life.

When you are down and feeling overwhelmed and broken, you may feel weak.

Proverbs 17:22b…

“… a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.”

When you are sad and disillusioned with life, you can feel broken and crushed, and like your energy levels have been sapped. 

But look at what God’s word says… 

Proverbs 17:22a…

“A cheerful heart is good medicine…”

Nehemiah 8:10…

“Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

No matter how difficult life is, the joy of the Lord can be your strength!

Psalm 34:4-6…

“I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles.”

Those who look to God will be radiant with joy. Look to God.

Colossians 3:1-2…

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” 

So, keep your eyes up. Look up!

Psalms 121:1-2…

“I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.”

Keep your eyes on Jesus.

Hebrews 12:1-2…

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

Strip off the burdens and weights that slow you down. Let go of sin, and set your sights on Jesus.

He has “all power and authority”. (Matthew 28:18)

He is GOD. He is “King of kings” and “Lord of lords”. (1 Timothy 6:15) 

He is limitless. He is creator. (Isaiah 40:28)

He is the sustainer of life and the glue that holds it all together. (Colossians 1:17)

He is the chief cornerstone. (1 Peter 2:7-8)                                                              

He is the alpha and the omega. (Revelation 22:13)                                                  

He is light of the world. (John 8:12)                                                                            

He is your provider. (Philippians 4:19)                                                                           

He is your prince of peace. (Isaiah 9:6)                                                                      

He is your Savior. (Luke 19:10) 

Don’t allow the fears and uncertainties of life to draw your eyes off Jesus.  

Jeremiah 32:27…                                                                                                                             

“I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?”

He is your God. And nothing, absolutely nothing is too difficult for him. 

Don’t allow the temptations of this world to lead your astray. Let go of the heaviness and sin that so easily entangles us. Set your sights on Jesus!

Today I want to encourage you to…

LOOK UP

LOOK TO JESUS

And lastly, I want to encourage you to LOOK FORWARD.

Keep your eyes on the prize (eternity).

1 Corinthians 9:24-26…

“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So, I run with purpose in every step.”

We all need to run the race to win. Most run to win a prize that will fade away. God’s word encourages us to go after the eternal prize. We are to run with purpose and passion, looking forward to our eternal life with God.

There is more to life than the here and now. 

You were made to live forever. Life doesn’t end at the cemetery. It goes on in eternity. Where will you spend your eternity?

Sometimes we get bogged down by the worries and stress that we face. Sometimes we are so busy, and we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life. Sometimes we get so focused on our temporary lives, running hard, like a hamster on the wheel, running so fast, frantically running, but going nowhere! 

Stop!

Consider your life. Consider your eternity. 

Sometimes we are so focused on our own problems and circumstances that we don’t see the big picture. 

Now it’s good to dream. It’s good to have goals and to be ambitious. It is noble to work hard and to do our best. But sometimes we are so focused on our short temporary lives that we miss the true meaning. 

Don’t miss it!

We are living in the last times. No one knows when the end will come. Life is fragile! 

You were made to live for more than just 80 to 100 years on earth. Your body will one day die, but the real you (your spirit) will continue to live in eternity. The question is where will you spend yours? 

God made you to live forever. In eternity that are only two destinations… There is a heaven and a hell. There is no middle ground.

Philippians 3:13-14…

“… I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

If you have fallen or drifted from God, it is time to return to God.

Today is your day of salvation. 

It is time to LOOK UP. Look on the bright side of life. 

It is time to LOOK TO JESUS. You can repent of your sins and from your old way of life. You can choose to surrender your life to Jesus Christ and take him as your Lord and Savior. 

It is time to forget about the past and press on towards the eternal prize. It is time to LOOK FORWARD and run the race.

While the world seems to be getting darker and darker, you can HOLD ON! 

DO NOT FEAR. BE STRONG. BE BRAVE. 

LOOK UP! KEEP YOUR EYES UP.

LOOK TO JESUS! KEEP YOUR EYES SET ON JESUS.

LOOK FORWARD! KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE PRIZE.

No matter what you are facing…

No matter where you are…

HOLD ON!

Romans 8:28…

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

Romans 8:31…

“If God is for us, who can ever be against us?”

Romans 8:37-39…

“No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Don’t give up. Don’t give in.

Stand firm and keep your eyes on Jesus!

Where do you stand with God today? 

Do you know Jesus as your Savior? He made a way for you to share eternity with Him. God doesn’t want you to face the journey of life alone. He wants to do life with you, through the tough times and the good times.  

God saw that man was separated from Him, so He sent His Son, Jesus, to pay the price for you and me on the cross, so that we can come into a relationship with Him.

You can start a walk with God, not because of what you do, but because of what Jesus did. This relationship ensures that you and I do not need to face life alone, and this relationship continues into eternity.

If you do not know Jesus as your Savior, why not invite Jesus to be your Lord and Savior? Give Him your life, along with your burdens and concerns. 

If this spoke to you, and you want to start or restart your walk with God, click here to pray a simple prayer we have set up for you.

John 3:16…

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Let’s pray

Father, thank you for making a way for me. Thank you for sending Jesus to rescue me. Jesus, I ask you to be my Savior. Thank you for the price you paid on the cross for me so that I can be set free and live under the shelter of your protection, not only during my temporary life on earth but right into eternity. Today I put my life in your hands and thank you that you are my God, my place of safety, my protector, and my provider. 

If you have prayed this prayer, please let us know. We would love to pray for you and send you an incredible eBook to help you on your journey with God.