How to Hold Your Ground
There rarely is one clearly decisive turning point in a war, but many believe July 2, 1863, and the battle at Little Round Top in Gettysburg, to be one such moment. Some say this battle marked a key turning point in the Civil War, where from this point forward the Confederate Army was on the retreat. On that day, the Union troops were given one task: hold the line. Don’t let the enemy flank us at this most crucial point or we might lose this battle. After each attack, as soldier after soldier fell, men would move in to fill the gaps left behind. At the end of the day, after all the smoke had cleared, they stayed put. They held their ground. Against all odds, they remained.
Sunday we looked at John 8.31-36 and focused on a phrase that summed up the nature of genuine belief: “abide in my word.” Abide is often translated as “remain” or “stay,” and as the scholar Edward Klink said, it “communicates presence: a permanent residing in a specific location.” Even more specifically, it means “a personal permanent residence in the spiritual presence of God.”
Abide in God’s Word
One of the ways we seek to abide in God’s Word as a church is by memorizing Scripture together. Each month we focus on one verse or passage. This month our passage is Romans 11:33-36. It’s a few verses longer than other months, but listening to this song makes it easy, even effortless, to memorize. It’s a powerful passage that focuses on the glory and power of God that transcends all things, ending with verse 36, “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”
This is the kind of truth we need rooted in our hearts to help process recent events in our city. Why did God allow such a tragedy to happen? We can’t fully know the mind of God, but we can trust that even in the confusion He is still in control. Meditate on His Word daily through memorizing and by following our church-wide Bible reading plan for 2023.
Another part of abiding in His Word is to be leaning on one another in the midst of tragedy. It’s through a strong and loving community that we help one another grieve and process. Please keep praying for those that have been affected by this tragedy and pray that as a church we would know how to best love and serve our community.