He Will Hold Us Steady

I became a believer at the age of nineteen, and I entered college almost immediately after. For many, college is the time to experiment, try new things, and determine who you really are as a person. It was no different for me.

​Throughout my college years, I was a lukewarm Christian at best. I would commit to seeking the Lord, making goals to study the scriptures and diving into a small group at my church. Then the very next semester, I would stop attending my group and months would pass without me touching my Bible or carving out regular time for prayer. When I graduated college and began my career, I continued on the pendulum. I spent years moving back and forth, back and forth between committing to seeking the Lord and just getting by in life. 

The prophet Elijah witnessed God’s people doing the very same. Elijah did not have it easy as a prophet to Israel. He was called to speak God’s truth to people who refused to listen. In fact, King Ahab “did more to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him” (1 Kings 16:33b). 

The people of Israel would follow God for a bit under a good leader, then they would choose a different path and follow Baal or build Asherah poles. Then, another semi-decent king would come along and they would tear down some poles before choosing again to worship pagan gods with various evil acts.

​I can almost hear the exasperation in Elijah’s voice as he commands the people, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him” (1 Kings 18:21). What a command from the Lord. If I am the Lord, follow me. If something else, follow it. Choose. Commit. Stop wavering. 

We can easily fall into wavering back and forth in our faith and trust in God. Maybe it is due to fear, maybe the temptations of this world grab hold of us, or maybe, like me in college, doubt and uncertainty creeps into our thinking. Whatever the reason, we can trust God to hold us steady. Psalm 16:8 reminds us to keep our focus on the Lord because then we will not be shaken. Peter asked to step out of the boat onto the waves to follow Jesus. However, when he took His eyes off the Lord and began to see the wind around him, he began to sink (Matt. 14:28-30).

As the years have passed, I have recognized that I can quickly make coming to Jesus regularly a big, complicated event. Thoughts such as, “Oh, I will begin my regular quiet time when I have the right journal and have replenished my highlighters” or “I slept late and can only give ten minutes to reading scripture today” can easily cause me to not seek the Lord. I had to simplify my expectations and goals. I make it a priority to come to Him each day. Sometimes that is prayer during my commute to work and other times I can devote an hour to study. Both are fruitful in my relationship with Him. 

Let us keep our eyes, our hearts, and our minds focused on Jesus. We can do this by seeking Him each day. We can draw close to Him through time in His word, time devoted to prayer and silence before Him, and by drawing close to a community of believers who will build us up, encourage us, and hold us accountable in our walk with the Lord. Doubts will arise, trouble will come, and temptations will stand before us, but when we choose the Lord as God of our life, He will hold us steady. 

“I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” Psalm 16:8 (NIV)

About the Author

Hello! My name is Lindsay McNeely. I live in Tennessee with my husband and our daughter. Working full-time is both challenging as a mother and rewarding. The challenges cause me to take full advantage of every second with my loving family. On the weekends, we love to grab brunch, explore our little city, or take a short trip together. Time in the Word with other women is my passion and fuel. Join us as we dive deeper in our faith, in God's word, and in community.