Christian Writers Circle

Intimacy by Holding On
by Brenda D. Flowers

Have you ever had times in your life when you wish your overwhelming circumstances would change quickly? Have you prayed for relief, hoping the relief would come immediately? Maybe you needed direction from God about important life changing decisions you had to make. Possibly, you were feeling uncomfortable or dissatisfied at work or at home. In all our lives, either as children or in adulthood, there have been times when we have felt sad, hurt, lonely, fearful, confused or possibly even abused.

When life’s events cause terrible wounds, doubt or fear, we, as Christians, know we can call out to Jesus. In terrible times, even nonbelievers, often without thinking, call out to God. Yet, what do we do when we pray and we don’t know if God has heard us, or when we do hear from our Lord His answer is, “Wait”?

Recently, I have been experiencing new trials and testings which I know God is using to help build my Christian character. During my past “wilderness” seasons, I have always grown closer to my Lord. I have learned to realize the purpose in going through hard times. I could not handle my circumstances without the Lord in my life. I must be totally dependent upon Him. I am discovering my intimacy with Christ has grown even closer because I have cried out to Him more.

A few days ago while reading a devotional written by Carolyn Larsen, I read these words “hold on to Jesus tenaciously.” Her divinely inspired words seemed to pop off the page which often seems to happen when God is trying to reveal His truths to me.

True intimacy is the act of holding onto Jesus tenaciously. I realized as I read these words, it is in the waiting periods of life or in the wilderness seasons, when we must cling to our Lord with unwavering faith.

Tenacious has various meanings. The definitions and Latin origins as taken from Funk and Wagnalls Standard Dictionary:  tenacious–1 Having great cohesiveness of parts, tough.
2 Adhesive, sticky. 3 Holding or tending to hold strongly as opinions, rights, etc.; followed by of; hence, stubborn; obstinate; unyielding; or persistent. 4 Apt to retain; strongly retentive, as memory. [<L tenax, tenacis holding fast < tenere hold, grasp, embrace]

In my mind’s eye, I picture myself about to fall off a cliff reaching out to Jesus who takes hold of my hand. I am clinging to Him and He is clinging to me. I feel His strength and hope arises in knowing He has hold of me and He will save me from the disaster my fleshly body is being pulled to by the gravity of my current life experiences. I am holding on “for dear life” as the expression goes, and dear life is what He will bring to me.

I can feel the Holy Spirit’s power as my Lord and I are together in that holding position. I am in the process of being pulled up and out of the negative force field, the danger zone, although it may not feel like it at present.

This intimate time of clinging and trusting the Power who will save me seems like forever. Although someday, I anticipate realizing the waiting period was really only a short amount of time.

As I meditate even longer on the idea of holding onto Jesus tenaciously, I picture the clinging of two people, the rescuer and the one being rescued. I think of a young child who has just been pulled out of icy waters and is in the loving embrace of his dad. I see a little one pulled to her mother’s arms just before she runs in front of a car or runs into a fire.  I visualize the loved ones clinging to each other.

The words “hold on tenaciously” remind me of that type of intimacy, the clinging of two, one the saved and One the Savior. I find joy and hope by reaffirming my faith. These current terrible circumstances in my life will not take me away to disastrous end as long as I hold onto the One who has the power to save. I am making a choice during this hard waiting period to hold on tenaciously to Jesus. Magnificent intimacy is found as I apply complete trust and unwavering faith in the act of holding on.

Hebrews 3:6-8 NKJV  But Christ as a Son over his own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.  Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:  ‘Today, if we will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the Wilderness…