Hold Fast and Stay True

Hold Fast and Stay True

“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted

to keep his promise.”
Hebrews 10:23

“Hold Fast” and “Stay True” are navigation terms used by sailors. To “Hold Fast”
means that you maintain a tight grip on the lines of the sails, especially during a
storm. Storms can be terrifying on a sailboat. You must “Hold Fast” to keep control
of the vessel.
When I served in Haiti, our mission would routinely take teams to the island of
Tortuga. Don’t think “Pirates of the Caribbean” and Captain Jack Sparrow. Think
instead of devastating poverty and a desert surrounded by water. The boat we used,
helmed by Captain Sebastian, was affectionately termed “The Jesus Boat.” It
looked like Jesus may have ridden on it, and it caused you to get closer to Jesus
when you took it out on the water.
One Sunday, a group of doctors who were visiting the mission wanted to go to
Tortuga for the experience. It was arranged, and they set sail. From the mission, we
could see the sailboat as it headed across. We could also see the storm that came
up, seemingly out of nowhere. For a couple of hours, we watched as Sebastian
tried to keep the boat pointed toward Tortuga. We could imagine how everyone on
board was dealing with this situation. The group made it to Tortuga but was
stranded there overnight. When they returned the next morning, they had faces
filled with relief, and stories of fear and doubt about their journey across.
“Stay True” is another term that means to keep going in the right direction. It is a
term used in sailing and orienteering that means to stay moving in the direction the
compass is pointing. If we don’t keep moving where the compass is pointing, we
can find ourselves in serious trouble. We may think we are a little off course, but
the consequences can be deadly.

In 1979, Air New Zealand Flight 901 took off for a sightseeing flight over
Antarctica. The flight plan for the trip had been altered before takeoff, and the
pilots put in the coordinates of the new plan. What they did not know was that the
plane was two degrees off from where it was supposed to be. That meant as they
traveled, they were 28 miles off course. That doesn’t seem like a big distance, but
it became a tragic miscalculation.
As Flight 901 descended from the clouds, the pilots wanted to descend further to
get a better look at the landscape. Because the clouds and snow made Mt. Erebus
in Antarctica invisible, the pilots had no idea that changing course put them in the
direct path of the mountain. Because they were two degrees off course, they flew
directly into the mountain, killing all 257 people aboard.
In ministry, storms will come where we must “Hold Fast” to the promises and
character of God. We must also “Stay True” to what he has called us to do in our
ministry for Him. Don’t ever think that the latest book, podcast, or conference is
the fix you need to be on track in your own walk with God or your own ministry.
The only way to “Hold Fast and Stay True” is to consistently be in God’s Word and
to constantly seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit in your next steps. These two
practices will help us establish safeguards and habits that will keep us connected
with our Heavenly Father and direct our steps according to His plans for our lives.