A Call to STAND FIRM –

A Call to Stand Firm

Pastor Calvin Cook –

November 3, 2025

Scripture: “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet My unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor My covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you. — Isaiah 54:10 (NIV)

I ended Friday’s devotional with the words – He is ready to restore, rebuild, and renew you. This morning as my thoughts turned to personal battles that I admittingly know we all deal with – I am taking some pause to thank God and see how, through scripture, prayer, worship, avoiding temptation, a trusted covenant prayer partner and friend who speaks wisdom into the situation, how the Holy Spirit speaks into our soul.

There are days when your heart feels unsteady — days when circumstances shake you, when emotions overwhelm you, and when every thought seems to wage war against peace. I know that not everyone will understand these thoughts of personal anguish. It is something that everyone will go through and not everyone or sometimes anyone will understand. Everything on the outside appears to be great, but inwardly:

Depression whispers defeat.

Anxiety stirs fear.

Distractions scatter your focus.

Circumstances shout louder than faith.

Yet into that storm, the voice of God speaks — steady, firm, unshaken: My love will not be shaken. My peace will not be removed.

Isaiah 54 where we have been focusing our attention reminds us that even when everything around us trembles, the love of God does not move. When your world feels unstable, stand firm not in your strength, but in His covenant promise. And when you slip, pause and thank God for once again rescuing you and bringing you back to the place that you need to be.  However God worked to do this doesn’t matter, what matters is that God loves you, cares about you, and wants the very best for you.

Standing firm does not mean you never feel weak — it means that weakness should drive you toward God, not away from Him. It means refusing to allow distraction or despair to pull you out of His presence. It means holding your ground when the enemy whispers lies, when emotions surge, when circumstances look impossible.

The enemy does not always attack loudly. Many times, the battle comes quietly:

A thought of worthlessness

A wave of anxiety

A subtle drifting from prayer

A heavy sadness you can’t describe

A resistance that keeps you from kneeling in surrender.

These battles are real. But so is your Defender.

You defeat these forces not by fighting alone, but by standing firm in the love and truth of God. You steady your heart not with willpower, but with worship. You silence the storm not with your voice, but by listening to His.

When depression tries to drown you — He whispers peace.

When anxiety races — He speaks stillness.

When distraction lures you — He calls you back.

When life is beating you up — He holds you steady.

When you feel alone – He is with you.

Stand firm.

Not in yourself — but in Him.

Not in emotion — but in truth.

Not in circumstance — but in covenant.

Not in fear — but in faith.

The storm is real — but so is the Savior.

Prayer – teach me to stand firm when my heart feels weak. When distraction tries to pull me away from Your presence, draw me closer. When anxiety rises, be my peace. When depression presses in, lift my spirit. Strengthen my thoughts, steady my emotions, and anchor my soul in Your covenant love. I stand — not in my strength, but in Yours. In Jesus’ name, Amen.