.....don't

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess Hebrews 4:14.

Little Johnny's kindergarten class was on a field trip to the local police station where they saw, tacked to a bulletin board, pictures of the 10 most wanted men. Johnny pointed to one and asked if it really was a wanted person.

"Yes," said the policeman. "The detectives want him very badly."

Johnny asked, "Then why didn't you keep him when you took his picture?"

It’s a good question -- If you really want someone, why would you let them go? The writer of Hebrews understood that same principle when he wrote: Let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. Hebrews 4:14.

The phrase "hold firmly" literally means to grip tightly, like someone clinging to a lifeline in a storm or grasping a rope while climbing a mountain. The writer isn't suggesting we casually keep Jesus in mind — he's urging us to hold on with everything we've got.

Why the urgency? Because, like little Johnny, he understood that when you have something truly valuable, there's always the risk of losing it if you don't hold tightly.

The early Christians knew this all too well. They lived under persecution, faced social pressure to abandon their faith, and encountered daily temptations to let go of what they claimed to believe. It would have been easy to gradually loosen their grip on Jesus, to slowly drift away from the faith that once seemed so compelling.

The same is true for us today. We may not face the same kind of persecution, but we face our own pressures to loosen our hold on Jesus. The busyness of life crowds out our time with him. Disappointments make us question whether he really cares. 

Success makes us feel like we don't need him as much. Gradually, almost imperceptibly, our grip begins to weaken. Little Johnny’s question reminds us: when you have someone you really want, you don't let them go. We have Jesus — let's hold on tight.

- alan smith

Father, thank you for Jesus, our great high priest who never lets go of us. Forgive me for the times I’ve let the reality of your presence fade. Strengthen my grip on faith and help me hold tightly to you each day. In Jesus’ name, amen.