“In Christ alone my hope is found/He is my light, my strength, my song/This Cornerstone, this solid ground/Firm through the fiercest drought and storm/What heights of love, what depths of peace/When fears are stilled, when strivings cease/My Comforter, my All in All/Here in the love of Christ I stand.” — the first verse of the modern-day hymn “In Christ Alone,” as penned by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty

In Christ alone.

That phrase should resound in your spirit as your personal mantra.

Nothing else can compare. Your spouse or significant other, your job, your kids, your vehicle or boat, your checking account, your entertainment, your food, your sports team, your talents, your beauty — all pale as poor substitutes for strength and satisfaction.

In Christ alone.

Perhaps today you are reflecting on your life and wondering where it all went wrong. You are tired of being on the wrong side of others. You are sick of the slick and smooth words of the devil, caught in his traps of lies. You are fighting to keep your head above the chaos. You are simply worn out from wrestling with the everyday waves that leave you feeling guilt-ridden and inferior. And you are starting to believe there is no one to rely on, no one you can trust anymore.

IN CHRIST ALONE.

Yell it, cry it, scream it from the depths of your soul!

There is only one place you will find rest — in Christ alone.

He alone will meet your expectations; no man or woman or object of your affection can do that.

“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken,” writes David in Psalm 62. “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him [not humanity]. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge.”

Let that sink in for a minute. He delivers us and then goes on to defend and define our honor. Who else will do that? Who else can? Even the best of humans falter and fail. Those we trust and love will at some point let us down or betray us.

“Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge,” David continues in Psalm 62.

Did you catch it? “Pour out” means to spill, sprawl or gush out. You have to release in order to receive.

If you are all filled up with the world, how can the Lord fill you up with his Spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control? You have to empty out all the garbage in His presence and become an open vessel so His Spirit can resuscitate you.

Inhale (“I believe”) and exhale (“therefore, I have spoken”) as described by Paul in 2 Corinthians 4. “Do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”

In Christ alone we stand, in Christ alone we not shaken, in Christ alone we are saved.

“No guilt of life, no fear in death/This is the power of Christ in me/From life’s first cry to final breath/Jesus commands my destiny/No power of hell, no scheme of man/Can ever pluck me from His hand/’til He returns or calls me home/Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.” — the last verse of “In Christ Alone”



Just Hold On, written by Ruth Ann Replogle and published every Friday in the Enid News & Eagle, is based on her belief in Hebrews 4:14.