Stand Strong in Your Faith

Do you STAND STRONG when people reject Jesus?

Stand strong like Jesus when he read the Word of God in his hometown synagogue.

Have you ever experienced testing because you were a follower of Jesus?

My friend is tested on the daily because her husband does not know Jesus. When we occasionally face opposition when we’re out and about it’s to be expected.

But . . . the hardest place to be tested for your faith is with those you love most, right in your home.

Jesus was tested right in His hometown of Nazareth. We can be encouraged to know that He experienced the same things we do in life.

 Digging Deeper: Luke 4:16-44

Key Verses: So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.  Luke 4:16

So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way. Luke 4:28-30

The Backdrop

As we read in Luke 4, Jesus returns to his hometown of Nazareth after being in the wilderness for 40 days.

If you have ever gone through times when you were tested, didn’t you find that you came out standing strong?

Jesus had been teaching in various synagogues and was ‘glorified by all’ (Luke 4:15).

News got around that He was in the area.

Then he went to the synagogue in Nazareth, filled with the power of the Spirit after experiencing victory over testing.

When you go through a wilderness season of testing, you are strengthened by the grace of God to overcome. You are always made better in Christ when you surrender to Him during your trials.

Because Jesus was tested in the wilderness, He understands what we go through and can empower and strengthen us in the Spirit.

What Satan means for harm in your life, backfires and he is duped by his cunning and caught in his craftiness.

Jesus got up and read from Isaiah 61:1-12 and then answered the two questions that the people had in their hearts.

“Who did Isaiah write about?”

Then he sat down and began answering them by telling them, “Isaiah wrote of Me!”

Then the next question on their hearts was, “When will this come to pass?”

And Jesus also answered that question by saying, “Isaiah wrote of now!”

The people were amazed yet anger started to stir in their hearts until it worked into wrath.

They took Jesus to a cliff outside of the city and were preparing to push him over the edge.

Miraculously, Jesus turned around and walked through the middle of the crowd without them ever noticing!

Jesus had pointed out that there was something wrong with them. They had requested a miracle and He had denied them their request.

Instead, Jesus did an UNEXPECTED MIRACLE right in front of their eyes, escaping when they intended to kill Him.

When Standing Strong is Hard

This week’s blog post is, ​Stand Strong in Your Faith​, but it can be difficult at best when life is hard.

It’s easy to get wobbly in our faith when life is hard. Your faith might topple like when ​Simone Biles fell off the balance beam​. Just as the audience leaned into the moment feeling her disappointment, God deeply cares about what you are experiencing when your life is beyond difficult.

God is there to help empower you to stand strong in whatever is causing you to falter. He gives the strength to stand strong in each situation in life.

Does your faith falter because:

• Strained marriage because your husband is not a Believer?
• Extremely challenging marriage moments?
• Challenging relationship with a grown child?
• Difficult teenager who defies your authority?
• Trying Toddler throwing temper tantrums?
• Colicky newborn, who never sleeps?
• A Financial fiasco with diminishing resources?
• Pain discomfort in your back, foot, neck, head, or shoulder?

Life issues like these can be so hard to face let alone overcome.

Do you identify with one of these issues that might currently challenge you to stand strong?

When I was younger, my marriage had challenging moments. Looking back, I thought it was my husband causing all my problems when it was me.

Look at your life honestly when caught in a circular repeating pattern and allow God to reveal anything you are doing wrong.

I should have done better at allowing God to show me where “I” was wrong instead of being certain that it was the other person!

That being said, I encourage you to take a good hard look at yourself before being certain that the whole problem is because of your teenager, your husband, or your finances are not your fault.

There is something liberating about allowing God to search your heart. It gives new freedom in Jesus!!

Do You Stand Strong?

How does this true story resonate with your life? Did it encourage you to stand strong for Jesus?

I think this resonates more than we realize. We rub shoulders with people who have rejected Jesus every. single. day.

I used to have a neighbor who had no intention of accepting Jesus. He would say, “I don’t need religion. My wife goes to mass for me!” One day he died, never having received the good news of Jesus (that I know of).

Others might be religious and attend mass or church every week but not personally know Jesus.

Yet others ignore the message of Jesus and those who might never have heard.

Most of these people would never push anyone off a cliff. Nevertheless, they are pushing Jesus aside.

Are you around people who are like this?

Have they rejected Jesus?

Have people rejected you, just like Jesus because you have identified with Christ?

How to Stand Strong When You’re Rejected

As an eighth grader, I dealt with serious rejection more than at any other time in my life. I needed to learn to stand strong!

If there is ever a time in your life that you are dealing with ridicule and verbal put-downs, whether in your marriage or your community, digging into the Word of God will strengthen you.

Verses to Help You Stand Strong:

It’s not enough to say, STAND STRONG when life is hard. There has to be something greater than ourselves to give us sustaining strength. We find that in God. Not self!

These verses continually speak to encourage and give sustaining grace and strength to my heart.

Click on each verse to read it. It is God-empowering to write these verses out in your journaling notebook.

I do hope you have a notebook for your Quiet Time!

• Psalms 34:17-20
• John 15:18
• 1 Peter 2:4
• Psalms 27:10
• 2 Corinthians 12:9

When you experience rejection because you are a faithful follower of Christ, the Holy Spirit will indwell and strengthen you.

Jesus was prepared during the 40 days He spent in the wilderness for the harsh response from the people of Nazareth.

Have you been rejected? What did you find helped most during that time?

Going Deeper with God is a wonderful Printable Pack with 9 digital printables for your Quiet Time!