There have been times in my life when I have tried very hard to hold on to God.

Times when life was difficult. Times when things felt uncertain. And even times when circumstances felt desperate.

Over the years, though, I have come to understand something.

Maybe it is not really about how tightly I can hold on to God.

It is about knowing that God is holding on to me.

My strength can fail. My confidence can fail. There can be days when my faith does not feel nearly as strong as I want it to be.

I can become tired. Afraid. Discouraged. Overwhelmed.

I can even lose my grip.

But He does not.

God is still there.

I believe the Holy Spirit of God is with us wherever we are, physically, mentally, or spiritually. There is not a place we can arrive where God suddenly says, “You are on your own from here.”

Sometimes He changes the circumstances. Sometimes He does not. Sometimes the struggle continues longer than we would choose.

But He stays.

And I have learned through personal experience that there were moments when I thought I was holding on to God, only to realize later that He had been holding on to me the entire time.

And Sometimes God Sends People

Sometimes God’s presence in our struggles becomes visible through the people who choose to stand beside us.

Someone believes when we have stopped believing. Someone encourages us when we are tired. Someone walks into the impossible situation with us, not because that person knows how it will end, but simply because that person refuses to let us face it alone.

And something happens when that support grows.

One person believes. Then another. Then another.

Fear does not necessarily disappear. The challenge does not suddenly become easy. The odds may not change at all.

But we change.

We become stronger together.

The Story Behind Stronger

That is one of the ideas behind my next release, “Stronger,” arriving November 9.

The song will be accompanied by something I have never done before: an animated E7 Universe featurette.

I have been working on this one for quite a while, and today you will get a first glimpse.

I am intentionally not going to explain what you are seeing. I want you to experience the story when the complete featurette releases with the song.

But I will tell you this:

At its heart, the story asks what can happen when someone is willing to believe even when the situation appears impossible, and what happens when others decide:

“If you are going, we are going with you.”

Not because they know they are going to win. Not because they have all the answers. Simply because they are not going to let someone they love stand alone.

And together, they are stronger.

If You Are Struggling Right Now

Maybe this week’s message is not really about a song or an animated film.

Maybe someone reading this needs to hear something much simpler.

You are not alone.

If you are tired of trying to hold everything together, you do not have to pretend you are stronger than you are.

God knows where you are. God knows what you are carrying.

And even when you do not feel strong enough to keep holding on, He is still holding on to you.

Sometimes the strongest thing we can do is simply trust the One who refuses to let us go.

And sometimes, when we look around, we discover He has placed people beside us too.

Continue the Journey

▶ Watch the “Stronger” teaser

📚 Explore the E7 Universe books: On Amazon

🌐 E7Universe.com

Many Series. One Universe. One Message of Hope.

God Loves You.

— Jarrod L. Edge