The ‘Heldfastness’ of God
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“But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend,
9 I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’ I have chosen you and have not rejected you.
10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.11 “All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced;
those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish.
12 Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them.
Those who wage war against you
will be as nothing at all.
13 For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
14 Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do not fear, for I myself will help you,” declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. -
Bel bows down, Nebo stoops low; their idols are borne by beasts of burden. The images that are carried about are burdensome, a burden for the weary.
2 They stoop and bow down together; unable to rescue the burden, they themselves go off into captivity.3 “Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob, all the remnant of the people of Israel, you whom I have upheld since your birth, and have carried since you were born.
4 Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.
This is not a week of instruction but a week when we can know and experience the presence of the living God in a new and fresh way.
My prayer is that the word and the worship stirs us up to yearn for a closer walk with God.
Introductory Question: Share a time when you were falling, stumbling & caught or when you held someone.
Isaiah 40-45 are ladened with assurances of the comfort of God’s presence, even his ‘heldfastness.’
Read Isaiah 41:10-13 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand….
There are times in our life when we are just not sure we can take any more, the pain is too much, darkness too black, future is too bleak.
Look at Heldfastness this way:- [1] Held is Personal, [2] Held and Carried, [3] Held is His Delight (Isaiah 41& Isaiah 46)
[1] Held is Personal,
[2] Held and Carried,
[3] Held is His Delight
Held is Personal
me fast.”
How I needed that to be true when I was 23. At the age of 23.2 I wondered what life was going be like as a broken, paralysed young man when 2 days earlier everything in the garden looked rosy – Part qualified accountant, successful in sport, active in a Christian fellowship, 4 bedroom house.
Then in an instant, a car crash, I was catapulted into the ranked of the disabled, handicapped, crippled – all words I loathe but all new ways people would refer to me as.
How was I going to fare in this new unwanted life before me? A life I didn’t see coming, a life I didn’t welcome, a physical predicament that I wouldn’t wish on anyone.
How was my faith going to hold up. Have you ever feared that your faith might fail? Have you worried you might not be able to hold on in the time of trial.
In Isa 41:10 we find that the Lord is holding on to you. Hear the Lord's promise – ‘do not fear, for I am with you, do not be dismayed for I am your God - I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.’ Isa 41:13 I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” Fear not, you worm Jacob…
Notice the repetition of the pronouns I am with you, I am your God I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you……this is personal ‘I with you’ ‘I am your God’ ‘I will help you’ object of pronoun is you!
When we encounter difficult times, it is so easy to focus on the trauma and be overwhelmed – helpless, alone - even when family and friends are around - they are not where you are. When the givens in life are no longer given things look very different – independence, health, finances, relationships.
In Isa 41:10 the Lord tells us not to fear the predicament – why?
Ans: because I am with you’ – in other words don't focus on the issue - look to him. This is personal. Fear not is another way of saying trust me - I will uphold you hold you up. Uphold is another way of saying, I will hold you up. Jude 24 says he is ‘able to keep you from falling.’
How can we know this when he ascended and this now at the right hand of the father? That is exactly how we can know this Hebrews 6:19 assures us that we are anchored to him and he is at the right hand of the father. Tethered to the Lord – amazing. Matt 11:28-30 says Yoked to him – amazing.
Jn 14:16 says when he goes he will send another comforter. Another (Gr Allos = exactly the same – the HS). [Heteros = another different] The risen Saviour with us, holding us fast Ftr Son HS up holding you, helping you. You could not be more, secure more held, you could not be in a safer place, better place than be held in the loving arms of our God.
Held and Carried
God Will Carry You (Isa 46v4)
From prison Paul attributed his resilience, not to his stoicism but “because Christ Jesus has made me his own” Phil 3:12. [Film Paul, Apostle of Christ] Paul was beheaded on the order of Emp Nero, his final letter to Timothy is heartrendingly honest – I have run the race, fought the fight.’ Paul he knew that all his enduring strength was due to the risen Jesus Christ, who had made him his own and would certainly hold him fast. His heavenly home was assured, so that when his race was run the Lord would reveal his heavenly home & carry him over the threshold – that’s what grooms do, isn’t it? Ptl……..
Story of GINA pg 199 Lake of Tears – a Holding Cross and a Mat Redman Song – The Lord was there to carry her over the threshold.
Deuteronomy 33:27 ‘The eternal God is your refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms.’
Looking back I could see there were times in my life when I felt carried. Footprints in the sand.
The young 23 year old Ulster lad could show bravado that fooled many. But there were many times when he would wilt under the strain, cry out in frustration and sometimes in pain. My faith was deep, since my childhood. This was truly a test of that faith that I would have preferred not to face. Lord a broken leg will do, or I’ll settle for an amputation, if I have to, but please not a broken back, not paralysis.
Against that, deep within my soul was a wonder at work, the blessed Holy Spirit was holding fast, nurturing me with manna from heaven, the word of God daily bread, strength for each new day. Like the manna for the Israelites I could not chew on yesterday’s verse, there would be new every morning – steadfast reassuring, God given strength for this day (Lam 3:22).
My perseverance and strength was not about me digging deep, hanging in there - God adopted me as one of his own, way back then, when I was 10 years old – I was a project, a good work began in you (Phil 1:6) and he will see it through – it is not about me, it is all about Jesus. If Jesus has made us his own, he will be faithful to keep us till the end. Heb 10:23, He who promised is faithful. I say this particularly to you if you are experiencing a time of trial right now.
Jesus said in John 16:33, ‘In this world you will have trouble, take heart, I have overcome the world.’
In John 17:15, Jesus prayed for me and you and his disciples all through the ages, on the Thursday before Good Friday, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.” Our Heavenly Father continues to answer this prayer daily, working for good all things for those who love him (Rom 8:28). Do you love him, know him? Hear those words from John 16:33 ‘take heart.’
If you feel vulnerable at this time , be it weakness, affliction or sin, Isa 41:10 is for you – ‘Fear not for I am with you, be not dismayed for I am your God, I will strengthen you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (v13) for I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you – ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’
Dr Mark Prince spoke about ‘God’s everlasting arms’ in his acceptance speech at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award 2024 (18/12/24). His son Kiyan Prince was stabbed to death (age 15). The boxing champion was not awarded for sport but for inspiring others with his campaign against knife crime.
Mark Prince left home at 15 and fell into drugs and crime. Boxing gave him a way out. He won the WBO Intercontinental Light-Heavyweight title in 1997. Dr. Prince’s world changed forever in 2006 when his 15-year-old son Kiyan, a promising footballer at Queens Park Rangers academy, died while trying to stop a fight outside his school. Instead of letting grief consume him, Dr. Prince turned to his faith. We have a choice in the ups and downs of life – to turn away from God or to turn to him. Mark Prince shared how faith helped him choose forgiveness over revenge after his son was murdered. Pain can break us or shape us into vessels of hope. When troubles come the response is often anger, bitterness, helplessness. Yet through faith, we find strength to turn the greatest tragedy into help & healing for others.
Life will throw trials our way, but we have the power to choose how we respond. When he lost his son, he turned to his Lord Jesus instead of giving in to bitterness. He washeld fastt.
Hymn writer and friend of Charles Spurgeon, Ada Habershon (1861–1918) “When I Fear My Faith Will Fail – he will hold me fast.”
100 years later Matt Merker, put new music to the old hymn.
Merker said, “It reinvigorates us to know that God is in control and he will preserve us to the end.”
Held is His Delight
Not only is God able to keep his people, but he does so “with great joy” Jude 24.
Habershon’s hymn echoes the truth and beauty of Ps 149:4 “The Lord takes pleasure in his people.” ‘Those he saves are his delight - He will hold me fast, precious in his Holy sight, he will hold me fast.’
God will keep us, his people, from falling and, hear this, he delights in doing it. When I was floundering and thinking my faith was weakening. I was putting on a good show, a happy mask, active in church, lively with friends and the court jester at times too – inside I was crying – tears of a clown. No one knew – my Lord Jesus knew – he knew both my pain and my façade. I believe the Lord gave me a song, not a song to sing but a song to play, it was on a cassette tape. Each morning before I went in to work – I would play this song. I had abandoned quiet times and was just desperately thinking ‘I don’t know how this is going to end.’ I no longer really believe that God is personally involved in our lives anymore. He exists, he creates, he is almighty and he is good – but as for knowing me in a personal way, I was not sure any more – I was losing the plot. Thatnks be to God, He gave me a prop – song. He gave Gina a prop, song and a holding cross.
The song was the only prayer I could pray – I’m not sure why this got hold of me. Several years ago I met Paul Field who wrote it and I told him these words had really helped me at a time of personal crisis.
“Don’t let me fall from you. Such a long way down. I know my heart would be broken before I hit the ground. Don’t let me fall from you, not now I’ve come so far. I really do believe I’m beginning to understand Jesus who you are. Don’t let me fall even when I cry, cause no friends can be found. Don’t let me lose it all, now I’ve come so high, O please don’t let me look down, Don’t let me fall from you.”
In next session we can be more reflective about how we use that time of waiting on God thinking about God holding on to Him as he holds fast to us.
We can also talk about sharing with others and how burdens shared in trusted fellowship is healing & heldfastness too.
Lent is time when we can be deliberate about spending more time in scripture and prayer and learning.
After 60 years of believing and 45 years of paraplegia the Lord has answered that prayer daily. Not only does he hold us fast, but he does so with great joy. He truly is my strength and shield, my ever-present helper (Ps 46:1) Hear again his words to you from Isa 41:10 I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand – do not fear, I will help you.’ He is here moving among us as we gather in his name
Amy Grant:
Lay down your burden, I will carry you, I will carry you my child, my child (x2).
Lay down your burden, I will carry you, I will carry you my child, my child
Quote Jude 24,25..“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy”
