One summer, two young cousins were visiting me and my husband. One adventure that we dreamed up for them was a three-day trail ride in the mountains. None of us had really ridden horses before, but the guide assured us that each of our horses, large as they seemed to us, were stable and trustworthy. We believed his words. Plodding along steadfastly, we set out for the spot where we were to spend two nights.

On the way back, things got a bit lively for me. My horse was following Jimmy, a small pack horse-in-training, that was balancing several large canvas-wrapped bundles on his back. One of these packs had worked loose, and began sliding sideways. He got spooked and leapt about skittishly. My horse reacted to this little dance and started rearing up. Some instinct caused me to hold on tight and pull on the reins with all my might. My horse calmed down, and to my relief, we were not added to the drama ahead.

“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.” (Hebrews 10:23 NLT)

Sometimes, as we go through life with its ups and downs, all that we can do is just to hold on tightly. Lately, I went through a period where it seemed as if I were being tossed to and fro in my emotions. I felt as though I were shaken, with nothing making any sense at all. Finally, I prayed a prayer of desperation, calling for help. “Just hang on!” God answered. I realized again that God can be trusted to keep His promises, especially the one to be with us in every situation.

“[Eleazar, one of David’s mighty warriors] was with David when the Philistines gathered for battle at Pas-dammim and attacked the Israelites in a field full of barley. The Israelite army fled, but Eleazar and David held their ground in the middle of the field and beat back the Philistines. So the Lord saved them by giving them a great victory.” (1 Chronicles 11:13-14 NLT)

Hanging on is like holding our ground. David and Eleazar knew in Whom they believed, and so they held their ground and won against the enemy. I knew that my horse was a reliable steed, well used to mountain treks and unexpected situations. I knew that if I pulled hard enough on the reins and held on tight, I would stay on my horse. I had never had the opportunity to practice this knowledge before, but somehow, I trusted it to work. Hanging on enabled me to regain a horizontal position on solid ground. When we are grounded in God and have Him as our foundation, we can hold our ground and ultimately have the victory.

Let us make sure that we are on a solid foundation through our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. May we be purposeful, hang on, and stand our ground when the enemy of our souls wants to beat us down and defeat us with his lies.

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, that we are on a firm foundation, on solid ground, when we believe in and trust in You. Help us to purpose to stand our ground when life’s circumstances or the lies of the enemy conspire to beat us down. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Copyright © 2022, by Alice Burnett <terrencera.burnett@gmail.com>, first published on the PresbyCan Daily Devotional presbycan.ca .
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada

Reprinted from PresbyCan with author’s permission