Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Hebrews 10:23 NLT

I recently connected with a woman who's had a rough life. At first glance, I only noticed some of the letters tattooed on her weathered fingers, but upon further inspection I made out the phrase she’d permanently fixed to her hands: H-O-L-D-F-A-S-T. Hold Fast.

I asked her what that meant to her and she explained it was a sailing term. When rough waters hit, sailors are ordered to “hold fast,” meaning grab anything fixed to the ship to keep you from flying overboard. This tattoo inspired her to cling to her various sources of support when life got rough. It was a reminder for her to not give up hope when life’s challenges overtook her.

I cautiously (okay, I was petrified) invited her to ‘Hold Fast’ to Jesus, since he was the only one to overcome the power of death. What if the whole proverbial ship sinks? Wouldn’t you be holding on to a sinking fixture? What else can get us through life’s worst storms with our hope intact? As people who are constantly changing, in a world that’s constantly changing, what else can we cling to that’s secure enough to endure to the end?

While there’s no indication the writer of Hebrews had sailing in mind when he wrote our highlighted verse, the idea is one and the same. He wants his original audience, Jewish converts, to know that when pressures mount and circumstances change for the worse, they could hold fast, or hold to their hope in Jesus.

The writer gives this exhortation after a lengthy description of Christ’s superiority to their old way of doing things. The Old Testament Law and sacrificial system was but a shadow of what was to come – a once and for all sacrifice that could forever atone for sin and allow for unrestricted access to God. In other words, their old way was insufficient. It wasn’t enough to carry them all the way to the end. It ultimately wouldn’t ease their discouragement. Perhaps they would be momentarily comforted by the familiar, but that comfort would be fleeting.  “Therefore,” the writer says, “let us hold tightly...” No going back to the old way. No need to keep searching for something to cling to. Jesus is the ultimate, perfect, one and only.

The writer uses the Greek word Katecho, which means “keeping a tight grip.” The present tense perhaps emphasizes the need for this call to be a consistent one. An unwavering one. The decision to cling to the hope of Christ as an ongoing one, especially as new trials and tribulations surfaced in their lives. Based on who Christ is, and what he had done, they could hold tightly, and continue to hold tightly, to their hope in him, no matter what.  

The same is true for us. While our steadfastness does require personal resolve, the foundation for our perseverance is ultimately the person and work of Jesus Christ. It was his resolve to rescue us from the curse of death. He is currently our High Priest. His finished work granted us unrestricted access to God. It is the faithfulness of God that gives us reason to hold fast to our hope in his promises. “Our hope is sustained by the assurance that God, who promised us rescue and rest, is faithful’.” (Dennis E. Johnson)

When troubles hit, we can cling to Christ and his promise to never leave us or forsake us. When it appears we’re on the losing end of this battle for truth and peace, we can hold fast to Christ and his promise of victory. When we fall short, we can cling to Christ and his promise to redeem our failures. When we’re broken, or suffering in this broken world, we can cling to his promise to restore all things AND work through today’s brokenness.   

While the truth is we can hold fast to Christ no matter what, the reality is we often don’t. I know I often cling to my own understanding, my own comfort zone, my own coping system. I cling to the shadow (control, planning, grit and determination, and ultimately chocolate), not the substance.

The wonderful news is when we realize we’re clinging to wrong and worldly things – things that ultimately will fail us – we can return to Christ because he is always faithful. He faithfully “holds us and takes us all the way to the end of the path” (George Guthrie).

What do you cling to when trouble comes or life leaves you feeling discouraged?

How does Christ’s finished work and superior sacrifice encourage you to cling to him today?