2 Corinthians 4:8–9 “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.” Holding on
Introduction
God Allows Shaking to Remove What Cannot Last.
There are seasons in life when everything seems to collapse at once. According to Hebrews 12:27 “The removing of those things that are shaken… that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.” Not everything in your life is meant to stay. Sometimes: your finances are shaken, your relationships shaken, Plans are shaken, your health is attacked and even your prayers feel unanswered.
According to 1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man…” Even strong believers have weak moments. For instance: Elijah wanted to die (1 Kings 19:4); David cried all night (Psalm 6:6). And even Jesus wept (John 11:35). So, you are not alone in your struggle. If you see footprints: It means someone passed that way and made it through. If others made it you will make it too.
I know it feels like you’re standing in the middle of a storm with no shelter. The disciples panicked during the storm: Yet Jesus was in the boat. Fear in your heart does not remove God from your life and even you are not failing God. This message is for those moments — when you are asking: “God, where are You?” “God, I’m doing everything right… so why is everything falling apart?” Why God? Because they were not built to survive your next level.
Illustration to clearly explain this point: Scaffolding Around a Building
When a building is under construction: Scaffolding is necessary for a season. But it is removed when the building is complete. So, some people and situations are scaffolding and not permanent structures. So, what is falling apart…
May be what God is removing. Paul understood this feeling. He didn’t speak theory—he spoke from experience.Today, we are talking about: How to HOLD ON when everything is falling apart.
Falling Apart Does Not Mean God Has Left You.
Isaiah 43:2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you…” Notice: God didn’t say “if” He said “when”.
Hence Trouble is not a sign of abandonment. It is often a sign of transition.
Illustration to clearly explain this point: The Teacher Is Silent During the Test
In school: The teacher teaches before the test. During the test the teacher is silent. Silence does not mean absence. It means you are being trusted to apply what you’ve learned. So, brethren when everything is falling apart: God is not gone instead God is working behind the scenes.
Pressure Reveals What Is Inside You.
Luke 6:45 “Out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
Brethren let me ask you this question when you squeeze a toothpaste: What comes out? is what is inside the tube. When life squeezes you: What comes out reveals what you carry spiritually.
Hard times are not just attacks: They are revelations of your spiritual condition. Ask yourself: When life squeezes you what comes out of you is it Faith or fear, Praise or complaints? Do I still trust God? Do I still worship? Do I still believe?
The Enemy Attacks What Has Value Inside You.
1 Peter 5:8 “Your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion…”
Remember brethren the enemy does not waste time on empty things. If your life is under attack, it is because there is something valuable inside you. For instance, a thief doesn’t break into an empty house, instead the thief targets houses where there is gold and treasures. So, brethren if you are under pressure, it’s because you carry something powerful. So, brethren instead of asking yourself: “Why me?” Start declaring: “There is something in me worth fighting for!”
God Uses Breaking Seasons to Build You.
Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is close to the broken hearted…”Brokenness is not rejection. It is preparation. For instance, a before clay becomes something beautiful: It is crushed, pressed, moulded and even put through fire. You see that without pressure there is no shape and there is no strength when it comes to a good pot.
So, brethren what feels like destruction…may actually be construction. God is not breaking you to destroy you. He is breaking you to rebuild you better. We see that according to Micah 7:8 “When I fall, I shall arise…” Because breaking is not the same as ending. For instance, after a forest fire: Everything looks destroyed but over time: New life grows even stronger
So, brethren remember that what looks like total loss: Can become total restoration. According to Joel 2:25, “I will restore to you the years that the locust has eaten…”
According to 2 Corinthians 1:4 “Who comforts us… that we may be able to comfort others…” Brethren your pain is not wasted.
- Your struggle → will help someone
- Your testimony → will deliver someone
- Your survival → will inspire someone
What tried to break you: God will use it to build others. So don’t give up because somebody is banking on your success.
You Can Lose Everything and Still Have God.
Habakkuk 3:17–18 “Though the fig tree does not blossom… yet I will rejoice in the Lord.”
This verse speaks of a person with very deep faith: even when the person doesn’t have money he will still praise; there is no answers to prayers but still the person worship; Whether the person has no visible progress, but the person will keep trusting God.
Illustration to clearly explain this point: The Footprints in the Sand Story
A story is told of a man who dreamt he was walking with God. He saw two sets of footprints. During the hardest times: Only one set appeared. He asked God: “Why did you leave me when I needed you the most?” God replied: “Those were the times I carried you.”
For instance, Job’s Life: Job lost children, wealth and health. Yet he said: Job 1:21 “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” So always remember that true faith is not based on: What you have but on who God is.
Holding On Is a Decision, Not a Feeling.
Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering…”
You don’t hold on because you feel strong. You hold on because: God is faithful. For instance, imagine someone hanging from a cliff: Their hands are weak and their strength is fading. But they hold on because: letting go is worse. In the same way: You may feel weak and even tired. But don’t let go of God.
Your Story Is Not Over Yet.
Romans 8:28 “All things work together for good…” Even in your pain, confusion and delay. God is weaving everything together. For instance, if you walk into a movie halfway: It looks confusing and even chaotic but at the end everything makes sense. You are not at the end yet brethren.
Brethren according to psalm 30:5 “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”
So, brethren If you are still breathing, God is not finished. with you. So, don’t give up, don’t walk away and don’t quit now. You have survived too much to quit now. You have come too far to turn back now. You are closer than you think. This is not your breakdown… this is your breakthrough. You may be down — but you are not finished; You may be shaken — but you are not destroyed and even You may be crying — but joy is coming.
5 Godly Ways to Help You To Hold On.
1. Hold on to God’s Word: When everything changes: The Word remains constant
2. Keep Praying Even When It Feels Dry: Prayer is not about feelings. It is about connection
3. Stay Connected to the Right People: Avoid isolation. Stay around faith-filled believers
4. Worship Through the Pain: Worship confuses the enemy
5. Speak Life, Not Death: Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…”
Prayers To Help You Hold On.
1. Heavenly Father, help me when I feel pressed on every side, strengthen my inner man. I refuse to be crushed by the weight of life. let Your power sustain me beyond my limits, in Jesus’ name.
2. In the mighty, I rebuke every spirit of confusion that is attacking my mind, I declare I will not fall into despair. let clarity and peace be my portion.
3. Holy Spirit, when everything inside me says quit, give me the grace to hold on. I receive supernatural endurance today. My faith will not die in this storm, in Jesus’ name.
4. Let every hidden force that is fighting my progress, be exposed and destroyed. I will not be defeated by battles I cannot see. Let God fight on my behalf, in Jesus’ name.
5. Heavenly Father, increase my faith when circumstances look impossible. Even when I don’t understand, I will trust You.
My situation will not define my destiny, in Jesus’ name.
Pastor Nathaniel.
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