Stand

Maintain, Remain, and Hold Your Course

(2 Thess. 2:15; Heb. 12:1-2)

As we continue our look at my word for the year, stand, we are going to be looking at two definitions that are closely related. The first is to take up or maintain a specific position or posture. And the second is to hold a course at sea- (stay the course). Both of these definitions speak to the necessity of holding your position. The first one is strongly associated with holding your ground; standing firm and not backing down. And the other is about your focus and the necessity of steering with a specific destination in mind. I think both are important in the days we are living in.

Let’s look closer at the first definition for a few moments, my friend. We are living in a day and age where the enemy is trying to push believers to compromise at every turn. We are being told that evil is good and good is evil, something we were warned about in Isaiah 5:20. For the believer, God’s Word is the standard for what is right and wrong. His Word is our Guide (Ps. 119:105). We must take our position on the Word of God and stand firm. We must remain grounded in His Word and refuse to back down. We cannot afford to compromise when it comes to the Truth laid out in His Word.

Beloved, it is vital that you get in His Word like never before so that you know exactly what it says. We must immerse ourselves in His Word and let it be the foundation upon which we stand. Believer, we must hold our ground and refuse to back down. Too much is at stake. We cannot afford to lose any more ground. We must stand on His Word and share Truth with the world. This world needs men and women unwilling to compromise their standards who will shine brightly amid the ever-growing darkness. It needs people willing to “stand in the gap” (Ez. 22:30) before God on behalf of the land.

“So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or from letter from us” 2 Thess. 2:15. Beloved, you need to hold to Scripture and refuse to compromise, no matter how hard the world tries to get you to. Deception abounds at a level I have never before seen, and we need to be people grounded in Truth. Hold on to your Bible for dear life and stand your ground, dear heart. Refuse to cower before the lies and attacks of the enemy. Stand firm on His Word and trust Him to help you keep standing.

Far too many people are falling away from the standard that is set forth in the Word of God. Sadly, more and more people are compromising and going along with the deception that has taken hold of so many people. Dear heart, I challenge you to ask Him to give you the courage to stand firm and refuse to compromise the Truth. Ask Him to help you be one who will courageously stand on Truth and shine brightly for Him. “Be alert, stand firm in the faith, act like a man, be strong” 1 Cor. 16:13. This is our battle cry, fellow warriors of the King. We must stand!

Looking at the next definition, we are reminded that it is also important that we are staying the course and steering with a specific destination in mind. As followers of Christ, heaven is our ultimate destination. What a beautiful truth to keep at the forefront of our minds. That is our destination, but there is another goal for the believer that is important to remember. When we get there, we want to hear the words “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:21). We want to live in a way that we hear these words from our beloved Savior.

If we wish to hear those words when we reach our final destination in heaven, we must live with intentionality. We must live with our focus on pleasing Him. We must stay the course and do what pleases Him. This means continually asking ourselves what would glorify and honor God and making sure that is what we do. It is a conscious choice to seek to do what will please Him and keep walking in a way that is going to bring glory to His name. “So that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” Col. 1:10.

I confess, I know next to nothing about guiding a ship at sea or sailing a boat. However, I do know that staying on course does not happen by accident. One cannot simply drift along in the water and hope to end up at their intended destination. It takes effort and diligence. You have to guide the boat and stay on course to reach your destination. The same is true for the life of every believer. You must hold your position and stay on course, dear heart. You cannot drift along and allow this world to set your course. You must stay the course and steer with intentionality.

This definition of stand is a call to action, my friend. Don’t give up. Keep going in the direction you need to be going. These are dark days, and we must stand our guard. “Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” Mark 14:38. We must stand firm against the temptation to compromise. We must stand firm against our flesh so that we will not fall to the enemy’s temptation. This is why I continue to stress the importance of getting in His Word. We need it to guide us and help us know the way to go (Psalm 119).

Abraham Lincoln offered these wise words of wisdom that we would do well to heed. “Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.” The right place for the feet of a believer is in the Word of God. Beloved, when you hold that Bible, you are holding the very Word of God. If you want to stand, stand on it. “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Let this God-breathed Word guide you on the right course, my friend.

One last piece of advice for those who do indeed wish to stand firm in the faith. Those who stand firm are those who kneel often in the presence of the One who can help them to stand. Time and time again throughout the Gospels we see Jesus getting alone so that He could pray. If the Son of God needed time in prayer, how much more so for you and me! We will not stand until we make a regular habit of kneeling in His presence, dear heart. “Pray without ceasing” 1 Thess. 5:17. These are wise words to heed in these difficult days, my friend. And it is a habit we must develop if we wish to stand firm in the faith.

“But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved” Matthew 24:13. Let us do all that we can to stand firm and endure to the end, my friend. Stand firm in your faith. Stand your ground and refuse to compromise. Stay the course and don’t give up. He is faithful; He will help you stand. Fix your eyes on Him, stand firm on His Word, and let Him guide you. He will make sure that you reach the destination He has waiting for you, dear heart. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” Matthew 6:33.

See also: Proverbs 4:23, 25-27; Phil. 3:12-14

Katrina Douglas