The Light's House

He Will Not Relax His Hold

Five negatives, seven promises, and a grip that doesn’t depend on yours.

Pastor Davies2 min read

Watercolour of an iron anchor wrapped in a gold chain, with two strong hands gripping it and a child’s hand held at the wrist, against a starry navy sky.

In short

In Hebrews 13:5, God stacks five negatives in the Greek to say He will never leave you. Your safety rests on His grip, not on yours.

If you’re starting this week unsure that God really has hold of your life, read on.

…for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]

Hebrews 13:5 · AMPC

In the original Greek, God uses five negatives, the number of grace, to build a fortress around your soul. He doesn’t just say He’s with you. He says it five times over: no, never, not under any circumstance.

A seven-fold seal for your week

  1. He will not fail you, when you’re weak.
  2. He will not give you up, when you’re tested.
  3. He will not leave you without support, when you’re in need.
  4. He will not leave you helpless, when you’re overwhelmed.
  5. He will not forsake you, when you feel alone.
  6. He will not let you down. He is faithful.
  7. He will not relax His hold on you. His grip is tight.

Wrist, not thumb

Picture a father and his young son crossing a busy six-lane road. The boy holds his father’s thumb, but his hand gets sweaty and tired. If his safety depended on his grip, he’d be in trouble.

So the father reaches down and wraps his whole hand around the boy’s wrist. Even if the boy lets go, the father doesn’t.

An anchor that goes up

We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain.

Hebrews 6:19 · ESV

Most anchors go down into the mud. This one goes up, into the very presence of God.

Your declaration for the week

“I am not alone. I am held by the hand of grace, secured by the seal of perfection, and anchored to the throne of God. He will not, not, not relax His hold on me today.”

Assuredly not! Amen.

Want to go deeper on God’s double “no”? Read The Immutable “No”.

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