Stand Firm

Read it: Matthew 7:24–25 (NIV), “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”

Have you ever tried to stand up in a kayak or on a paddle board? It’s not the easiest task, even if you have incredible balance. When the waves start to roll or the board shifts under your feet, staying upright becomes a challenge.

This is similar to what happens in life. The verse we keep returning to reminds us that following Jesus doesn’t mean life will always feel steady, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love” (1 Corinthians 16:13–14, NIV).

There are moments when the waves of pressure, expectations or difficult situations make it hard to stand firm.

The Bible tells us our true foundation is God and our relationship with Him. But often we start to rely on other things to help us stay afloat, like friendships, achievements, money, talent or even our own hard work. These things aren’t wrong, but they can’t hold us up when life gets shaky. Only God can.

Self-Denial is a chance to notice what we may be depending on and to hand those things back to God. Standing firm means trusting Him as our foundation, especially when the waves get big.

• What is something you might be leaning on to float instead of trusting God?
• What would it look like to hand that over to God during Self-Denial?

Look up other stories in the Bible where God asks His people to stand firm. Share one that stands out to you.

God, thank You that You are a strong and steady foundation. Help us to stand firm in You, even when things feel uncertain. Show us anything we might be relying on instead of trusting You and help us hand it over. Amen.