Hold Fast to Hope and Remain Strong and Immovable

Even if everyone around you is in despair, God’s Word instructs you to hold fast to hope because He is faithful.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. – Hebrews 10:23

Grit it Out / Hold Fast to Faith

One way that Merriam-Wesbster.com describes hold fast is to be firmly secured, and Urban Dictionary defines it as bearing down, grit it out, or stay the course.     When you apply this to Hebrews 10:23, you learn that you should be firmly secured in hope. Notice that this scripture does NOT instruct you to only have hope when things appear hopeful.  Rather than being swayed by difficult circumstances, you should grit it out and hold on to hope.  Do you hold onto hope because of what you can accomplish? Absolutely not! You should refuse to lose hope only because God is faithful to His Word.  

Now that you know you should hold on to hope, how do you actually apply that to daily living especially when everything around you appears hopeless?

Here are some tips to fan the flame of your faith.

Remind Yourself of Times God Has Shown His Goodness to You

Has there ever been a time when you thought your situation was hopeless, but after you prayed your situation improved?  Can you remember a time when you were struggling and someone spoke just the right words of encouragement to you? If you take a couple of minutes to think about it, more than likely, you can remember a time or two when you experienced the goodness of God.

Remember Examples from the Bible When God Proved Himself Faithful

For instance, Abraham and Sarah had a son of their own after they experienced decades of infertility.   Another example is when God kept His Word to Gideon by helping him to become a mighty man of valor.   Sailing across the sea, a ship carrying Paul and many others embarked upon a terrible storm at sea.   The entire crew was in great despair, but the angel of the Lord promised Paul safety, and God was faithful to His Word.  Over and over, the Bible proves that God is faithful.    

Familiarize Yourself with Scripture to Hold on to Hope

For the Holy Spirit to remind you of God’s Word, you have to be familiar with the Bible.  Here are some scriptures to encourage you to hold on to hope.

Encourage Someone Else to Hold on to Hope

Seemingly backward and completely illogical, you should give away what you wish to receive is truly a spiritual law.  

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. – Galatians 6:7

How can you spread hope? Try dishing out some random or undeserved acts of kindness.  Encourage a friend, buy a cup of coffee for the stranger in line behind you at your favorite coffee shop, smile and say something kind to the haggard mom with the rambunctious kid at the supermarket, or tell the cashier at your local convenience store that she’s doing a great job.  

Be Strong and Obey God

God is faithful, and He will eventually reward you for everything you do in obedience to Him.  Even when it seems that others do not value what you do; God does!

So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. – 1 Corinthians 1:58