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Hold It Together

Written by Pastor Eric Everhart

During my time in the Army, I used many different types of equipment to do my job, but there was one essential tool that every soldier had with them no matter where they went or what they were doing. Every soldier carried with them a roll of DUCT TAPE. 

Duct tape is the miracle tool. It comes in many different colors, even camouflage, and it comes in a range of sizes. Duct tape is a universal tool that no soldier should be without. Duct tape is strong enough to hold just about anything together, it can be used in just about any situation, and it’s just as reliable as any tool that the Army can issue you.

When I became a Christian in the desert of Iraq, one of my closest friends gave me a Bible that started me down the path of having a personal relationship with Jesus. That Bible went everywhere I went. I carried it in my rucksack during missions–it got sandy, muddy, and the pages started coming apart at the spine. Believe it or not, I used duct tape to hold God’s Word together…not that God needed my help 🙂 That “duct-taped” Bible would become instrumental in the life I would receive from Jesus. 

What if I told you that our faith is somewhat like duct tape. Hear me out….

OUR FAITH IS ALWAYS WITH US. As soldiers of the Lord’s Army, our faith is something we cannot do without. Our faith is not just something that we do, as much as it is who we are. Our faith is our very breath. It lives in us. It’s all we are, who we will be, and all we hold to be true. Our faith gives us purpose, vision, and mission. Our faith points us in the direction of Christ and his will for our lives. “And without faith living within us it would be impossible to please God. For we come to God in faith knowing that he is real and that he rewards the faith of those who passionately seek him.”  (Hebrews 11:6)  

OUR FAITH IS STRONG. The enemy of this world, the devil, is constantly at work trying to pull us away from our walk with the Lord. His works and temptations can be powerful and cannot be overcome in our own strength. Our faith, however, is grounded in the strength and power of the Lord. As soldiers of the gospel, we cannot rely on our human abilities and strength to overcome the darkness of the world. It is only by the true light, Jesus Christ, that we will have the strength to rise above the situations and circumstances of this life. Our faith is our strength and power, through Jesus Christ. “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.” (Exodus 15:2)   

OUR FAITH HOLDS US TOGETHER. Just like my worn out Bible, our lives can seem to be coming apart at the seams too. The trials and sorrows of this life can weigh us down and leave the pages of our souls torn out from the spine. But our faith will hold us together through our relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus promises to hold us up, hold us together, and hold us steadfast. When the struggles of this life wear out our bindings, cling to the truth of your faith and know that God has you, even if you feel it’s all falling apart. “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:17)   

Faith is trusting in the promises of Jesus Christ regardless of your circumstances or the situations of your life. Faith is knowing and living on what you cannot see, sitting in the hand of God, assured your Father will hold you up in all things. 

Is your faith so essential that you cannot be without it? Do you truly trust in its strength, its reliability in all situations, and do you stand in the assurance that your faith will hold you up and hold you together?

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