Learn How to Hold On

I watched a bird on a wire behind our house for a few minutes. The wind was blowing and gusty, the wire was swaying quite a bit, yet that bird seemed perfectly at ease, letting out a call occasionally, and then being quiet for a while, seeming to listen for a response. No matter how much that wire swayed and moved, the bird sat there, apparently completely comfortable in the gusty wind on his precarious perch.

The bird wasn’t concerned with his swaying roost, because he had long ago learned how to hold on. The gusting, changing wind, the wire moving beneath him, none of that caused him to fear.

He just held on. It had become ‘second nature’ to him.

As believers, we need to learn how to hold on. Life is cruel. Unfair. Unpredictable. When we’re hit with those curve balls that tend to turn our world upside down, we need to have a second nature that causes us to turn to Jesus. One of my brothers said we need to be ready to “preach, pray, or die at a moments notice.”

³His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴ Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶ and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. ⁸For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. –2 Peter 1

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. –Psalm 111:10

“…Hold firmly to the Word of Life.” –Philippians 2

¹⁰ I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
¹¹ I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you. –Psalm 119

We need to always remember God’s promises.

NOTHING can separate us from the Love of God. – Romans 8:39

‘No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.’                       –1 Corinthians 10:13

God’s love is everlasting. His Mercy endures forever.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. –Philippians 4:8

Paul told the Ephesians to remember…now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. –Ephesians 2:13

Learn how to hold on.