Don't Walk Alone

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

Devotional
Following Jesus can be hard.

The original recipients of Hebrews knew that firsthand. They had experienced suffering, opposition, loss, and tremendous pressure to turn away from Christ.

Our circumstances may differ, but we know the pressure too.

There is disappointment. Temptation. Doubt. Weariness. Cultural pressure. Unanswered prayer. Seasons when God seems distant.

Our instinct during difficult seasons can be to withdraw.

Yet God tells us to do something different: hold fast.

And one of the ways God helps us hold fast is through His people.

The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints does not mean Christians simply grit their teeth and somehow hang onto Jesus. We persevere because God preserves His people. And God ordinarily accomplishes that preservation through means—including the local church.

God uses Christians to keep Christians following Christ.

There are many things you can do alone. You can read your Bible, pray, listen to sermons, and sing. But you cannot meaningfully bear one another's burdens, encourage one another, forgive one another, serve one another, or stir one another toward love and good works while remaining isolated.

Your faith is personal.

But it was never meant to be solitary.

Reflection
When life becomes difficult, is my instinct to move toward God's people or away from them?

Prayer
Father, thank You that You are faithful even when I am weak. Preserve my faith and help me hold fast to the hope I have in Christ. Keep me from isolation, and use my brothers and sisters in Christ to strengthen me—and use me to strengthen them. Amen.