Hebrews 10:23

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

This morning, while driving into the church office, I noticed something interesting as I pulled out of the garage. Directly in my line of sight, there was a small spider clinging to my windshield. Not in some sheltered corner. But right in the center, exposed to everything. To my eyes there was nothing for this spider to cling to — just a sheet of smooth glass.  In a few moments he would be exposed to forces that would easily blow him off my windshield, I thought. And so, as I pulled out of my driveway onto the road I paid close attention to the speed that would finally blow him off of my vehicle. As I accelerated I began to be amazed with this little spider. It didn’t panic. It didn’t let go. It gripped tighter. The car climbed to 50 miles per hour, then 60. The force was brutal—the kind of force that should have ripped that tiny creature away instantly. But amazingly, the spider held on. I could see its legs bracing, its body tensing, every fiber of its being committed to one thing: not letting go. There were moments when it slipped. I watched it lose its footing more than once and then scramble to regain the ground it lost. For a second, I thought it was over. The spider would be gone. But it didn’t give up. It found its footing again. It gripped tighter. The road twisted. Sharp turns came. The forces of physics were working against it. The world was hostile. The circumstances were volatile and ever-changing. And that spider faced it all with one unwavering commitment: hold on.

Hebrews 10:23 reminds us to hold fast. Not hold loosely. Not hold conditionally. Not hold as long as circumstances are favorable. But hold fast. Grip tightly. Refuse to let go. The Greek word is katecho—to grip, to maintain possession of, to keep a firm hold on. It’s the language of holding on for dear life! But notice the reason we can hold on: “for He who promised is faithful.” Your grip doesn’t rest on your strength! Your holding fast doesn’t depend on how calm the circumstances are or how favorable the conditions become. Your grip holds because God is faithful. Your security is not in your ability to hold on. Your security is in the One you’re holding onto. The reality is clear — you don’t hold fast to Jesus because you’re strong. You hold fast to Jesus because He is faithful, and His faithfulness is stronger than all the forces working against you.

But let’s be honest about what we face. The pressures are real. The forces working to pry us loose are fierce. Satan sows doubt. He whispers lies. He tells you that God doesn’t care. He tells you that your faith is foolish. He tells you that following Jesus is a waste. He plants seeds of doubt about God’s character, God’s promises, God’s faithfulness. And doubt is the enemy of holding fast. In addition, the realities of living in a fallen world produce endless reasons to lose heart. You experience loss. You face illness. You watch people you love suffer. You see injustice go unpunished. You experience betrayal. You face financial hardship. And in the midst of all that, the world whispers: “Where is your God now? If He’s faithful, why is this happening? If He cares, why hasn’t He stopped this?” The circumstances twist and turn like my country road. The road of your life is not straight. It’s full of sharp turns, unexpected curves, sudden changes of direction. And with each twist, the pressure increases. The forces working against your faith intensify. Even our flesh fights against us. Your own body wars against your spirit. Your desires pull you toward the world. Your comfort seeks ease instead of obedience. Your fear tempts you to abandon faith for “safety”. So you’re under assault from three directions. The pressure is immense. And yet—and this is crucial—you can still hold fast! And you don’t hold fast through your own strength. Your grip doesn’t depend on your willpower or your determination or your ability to endure. You are the branch. Jesus is the vine. The branch doesn’t produce fruit through its own effort. The branch bears fruit by remaining connected to the vine. The life flows from the vine into the branch, and the branch simply receives it. Your holding fast works the same way. You don’t hold fast through your own strength. You hold fast by remaining connected to Jesus. You hold fast by abiding in Him. The strength flows from Him into you. Paul says in Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Not “I can do all things through my own effort.” But “through Him who strengthens me.” The strength is His. You’re simply the vessel through which it flows. So yes, the roads of life twist. Sharp turns come. Unexpected curves appear. The circumstances of your life are volatile and ever-changing. The storms increase. The wind blows harder. The forces working against your faith intensify. But here’s what doesn’t change: Jesus Christ is faithful. His promises don’t shift. His character doesn’t waver. His commitment to you is absolute. This is your security. This is what you’re holding onto. Not a feeling. Not a circumstance. Not a promise that life will be easy. But a Person. The faithful One. The One who cannot fail. And when you hold fast to Him—when you grip tightly to Jesus despite the pressure, despite the doubt, despite the internal struggle—you experience something the world cannot give you. You experience peace. Not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God in the midst of trouble. You experience hope. Not optimism based on circumstances, but confidence based on God’s faithfulness. You experience strength. Not your own strength, but His strength flowing through you. 

So this week, as silly as it may sound, I want you to be like that spider on my windshield. When doubt comes—when Satan whispers his lies, when circumstances contradict God’s promises—grip tighter. Don’t let go. Hold fast to what you know is true: God is faithful. When the world’s pressure increases—when loss comes—grip tighter. Don’t let go. Hold fast to Jesus. When your flesh wars against your spirit—when comfort tempts you, when fear whispers, when desire pulls you toward the world—grip tighter. Don’t let go. Hold fast to your faith. The pressure will intensify. But you don’t have to be afraid. You’re not holding on through your own strength. You’re holding on to the Faithful One. And He will never let you fall. Hebrews 10:23 is not a command to white-knuckle your way through life. It’s an invitation to trust. It’s an invitation to grip tightly to Jesus and discover that His faithfulness is more than enough.

Yours in Christ, 

Pastor John