Hold On

The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.

Exodus 14:14

The holiday story is told of a little boy, face sticky with peppermint, cheeks punctuated with two clean streaks of tears caused by his big brother. The big boy wanted the little boy’s candy and made a grab for it. But the little boy held fast to his sweet, refusing to let go. 

Big brother then had an idea. Punching the air with two fists, not much bigger than his opponents’, he offered to duke it out.

The winner gets the candy.

But little brother, smaller though he was, had bigger determination.

Nope. I’m holding on to mine. Go find your own.

Mom intervened, little brother got to keep his candy, and big brother was duly scolded.

It’s hard to fist-fight while holding on to something.

The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. Exodus 14:14

Jesus has given us the gift of peace, and it is possible to hold on to it, even when challenged to a fight. Even when the hopeful holiday air is punched with antagonism and unrest, envy or strife. 

Hold on to your peace.

The Lord will fight for you. You, plural.

He fights for our families; He fights for the lost; He fights for the found. He fought His way from heaven to earth, born in the straw and dirt of a stable. He fought His way to Egypt, fleeing from a tyrant who sought to take His life. He fought His way out of a community that did not believe the Messiah could possibly be one of Joseph’s sons, and He fought His way through a synagogue turned marketplace. He fought for you, and He fought for me. His battle took Him from Christmas to the Cross.

And He won.

So hold on to your peace. It was hard-fought, and hard-won. You have full rights to it through Jesus Christ. There is peace for everyone, if they want it. If they want Him.

As the world punches the air with its fists, hold on. Don’t let go of the sweet goodness of the gift of #peace. Share on X

Hold on this holiday season.

Lord, I will hold on to the peace You fought for and won for me. Amen.

@audreycfrank

Photo by Kira auf der Heide on Unsplash