Have you ever made the best of plans only for them to unravel in the worst of ways? Or have you pictured yourself in your dream job, role, or relationship, only to find it delayed or different to what you expected? 

 

Sometimes we find the things we hoped or planned to do are ‘put on hold’. You might find yourself ‘holding it together’, or if things have gone on too long, you may find yourself stuck in a ‘holding pattern’. 

 

Yet, regardless of what happens to your current or future plans, God has a vision and purpose for your life. We don’t need to sit with hopelessness—we can hold fast to God. Deuteronomy 30:19-20 puts it succinctly, “Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life” (NIV).

 

When we love the Lord and trust what He is saying to us, we have more than hope to hold on to. We have Him. Interestingly, ‘holding fast’ is not a passive state, but an active status (good news for those of us who are natural achievers). ‘Holding fast’ to the Lord is an act of focused faith and relinquishing control as He sovereignly works on our behalf. 

 

The life of Joseph is a great example of how to hold fast to God when our hopes and dreams are put on hold numerous times (Genesis 37-50). When Joseph reflected on all that he had been through, he acknowledged that all along God had been leading him forward to fulfil His great purpose, not just for himself but for two nations. 

 

Holding fast to God actually makes us more adaptable, flexible, and resilient because we can receive His wisdom and power for our next steps. He will often show us alternative paths to take, new ideas to try, and how to time it right. So today, if you are feeling stuck in a rut, be encouraged that holding fast to God will actually help you move forward into the purposeful life He has for you!