“One of my neighbors,” I began, “fell off a ladder yesterday. He was trimming some branches in a tree and fell off the ladder.”
“Is he okay?” Stan asked.
“Yes,” I replied. “He’s a little sore, but nothing broken.”
“God must have been watching over him,” Stan said. “I know of several people who have fallen off ladders and not been so fortunate. Big time injuries and even some deaths.”
“Yeah,” I replied. “I heard of one fellow who fell off a ladder while he was hanging Christmas lights. By the time someone found him in the snow it was too late.”
“Hanging on,” Stan said, “is real important, whether we are talking about ladders or whether we are talking about what the writer of the letter to the Hebrews had to say.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Hold on to the confession of our faith,” Stan replied.
“How does a person do that?” I responded.
“Don’t let go,” Stan said. “And don’t get sidetracked into anything that will keep you from holding on.”
Continuing, he said, “When I became a Christian by accepting the finished work of Christ Jesus on the cross, I did so by confessing my faith in God’s provision of life eternally with Him when my time here is done.”
“Additionally,” he added, “as long as God chooses to leave me on this side of eternity, I am to hold on to my confession of faith in the sense of pursuing an ever-deeper relationship with God by my commitment to being transformed into who and what He intends.”
“Living the life intended from the confession of fatih,” I replied. “Is that what you are saying?”
“It is,” Stan replied. “I am to be continually moving on the path from conversion towards maturity in my faith. I am to hold on to that path and not let go by choosing to head in a different direction.”
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Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. Hebrews 4:14.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for your provision of life eternally with you when it is time through my confession of faith in all you have for me. I admit that too often my faith in you is not what you intend. Please forgive me. And please help me in following your lead so that I not only hold on to my confession of faith, but that my faith in all you are and in all you have for me on both sides of eternity is on a path towards greater maturity in my relationship with you. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: To “hold on and not let go” is an admonition that can apply to many things in our lives, usually in the sense that what we are to hold onto is important. Do you consider your faith as something important enough that you want to hold on and not let go? Why or why not? If you do not feel that way about your faith, do you think that God thinks you should? Why or why not? If you would like to hold on to your faith more tightly and pursue an ever-deepening relationship with God, do you know how to do that? The first place to start is in prayer. God is faithful and He would love to help you with that!
Waiting for the Train 