When I fear my faith will fail,
Christ will hold me fast;
When the tempter would prevail,
He can hold me fast!
(“He Will Hold Me Fast,” Habershon, A. R., 1906)
I wonder if Ada wrote these lyrics into her deep suffering, so difficult that she feared she might leave Jesus. We know chronic illness required her to stop her in-person Bible teaching women’s ministry, instead needing to focus on writing. Maybe she even had to stop attending church gatherings.
We know she wrote this hymn 12 years before her death at age 57. Perhaps, in her lonely losses and grief in the worst of her symptomatic days, she feared she would be one of those who apostatize in this world’s inevitable suffering. As a close friend of Charles H. Spurgeon, she must have lived with his ongoing gospel encouragement as he preached the truth of God’s Word into her tribulations.
Beloved suffering sister in Christ, do you fear your faith will fail? Are others scolding or shaming you for not “having enough faith?” The tempter is still at work, just as he has been since Genesis 3. So, let’s both rehearse the truth and rest in His gospel promises to us as we pray together.
Abba Father,
Help me remember who I am now. I’m not who I was before I became Your beloved child, united with Christ. I was once “alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,” but now? I’m totally reconciled to You by Jesus’ death (Colossians 1:21-22).
I am precious in His sight,
He will hold me fast;
Those He saves are His delight,
He will hold me fast!
Christ will hold me fast, accomplishing Your sanctifying purpose for my life
It’s all so that You might grow me into Christlikeness, purifying me into holiness before You (Romans 8:29; Hebrews 9:14; 1 John 3:3).
Christ will hold me fast as my interceding advocate
So, all of Your Word’s instruction is given to help me “not sin,” by making me aware of my sin. But when I do sin, I have an advocate with You, my holy and heavenly Father. He is my only righteousness, my mediator, Jesus Christ (1 John 2:1).
You purged me “with hyssop” so “I will be clean.” You washed me in the blood of the Lamb, promising that “I will be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7 ESV).
But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities (Is. 53:5 ESV).
He’ll not let my soul be lost,
Christ will hold me fast;
Bought by Him at such a cost,
He will hold me fast.
In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 Jn. 4:10 ESV).
You promise to hold me fast, no matter what!
I could never keep my hold,
He must hold me fast;
For my love is often cold,
He must hold me fast.
If I backslide or stray, You promise, “I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely: for my anger has turned from them” (Hos. 14:4 ESV).
I myself will be the shepherd of the sheep, and I myself will make them lie down. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak (Ezek. 34:15-16 ESV).
Oh Lord, You are indeed my Good Shepherd! When one of Your sheep wanders off, You go after it! (Lk. 15:1-7).
When I call to You, You answer me; You’re with me in this trouble, and You promise to rescue and honor me (Ps. 91:15)…
all the way home to You.
Hallelujah, it’s all from You, Lord! I’m wholly forgiven, and I am now and forever Yours, amid this suffering. It’s Your promise.
So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath,
so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to
hold fast to the hope set before us (Heb. 6:17-18 ESV).
He will hold me fast,
He will hold me fast;
For my Savior loves me so,
He will hold me fast.
Material adapted from Praying God’s Promises Into Suffering: A Devotional Bible Study Prayer Journal, Lauri A. Hogle, © 2023
A playlist gift to sing our Lord’s promises to us, praising Him as we suffer
Sister in Christ, I know you’re hurting as I am. As Ada once did. Clinging to the truth that it is our Savior who continues to hold us fast has been His precious gift of grace to me in 35 years of chronic illness and pain. Long-suffering brings ongoing loss and grief, often accompanied by depression and anxiety. And He will hold us both fast, no matter what is happening…or will happen.
For me, when I am too sick to read or hardly able to pray lately, it often has been this song that He’s used to hold me. Repeatedly, He sings it into my thoughts. I hope you know it! It heads this week’s playlist gift, filled with songs to carry His Word’s gospel promises into our hearts and minds.
Sister in Christ, if this would also encourage you as we both turn our eyes upon Jesus as we suffer, sign up here, and it will come to your email with my love and prayer for you.
To read more of Lauri’s writing, you can use her devotional Bible study lament prayer journals: Praying God’s Promises Into Suffering, or Near to God: A Devotional Bible Study of God’s Character as We Suffer, or Singing the Gospel to Job: Finding Hope in Suffering. In the Valleys of God’s Love is written for children aged 3-8, a perfect read for grandparents, parents, and children to share together, preparing them for suffering to come.
For Scripture devotionals, calming hymns, and encouragement from Lauri, click here for YouTube channel
For those also suffering with illness and pain, here’s a music therapy-inspired podcast of Scripture and hymns to help ease our symptoms
New book arrives April 7!
Would you like to join our launch team?
Contact me today, and I will send you an advanced 31-day excerpt from this 90-day book of short Scriptural prayers, with love and prayers for our Lord’s blessing to you as you suffer. In Christ’s love, Lauri
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