Men's Breakfast | 29 March 2025

What’s Your Grip Strength?

The Cliffhanger Story

There’s an old story about a man who was hiking in the mountains. As he admired the view, he slipped and fell off a steep cliff. On his way down, he grabbed onto a tree branch, dangling hundreds of meters above the ground. Desperate, he called out, “Is anyone up there? Please help me!”

A calm voice responded, “Yes, I am here. Do you trust Me?” The man answered, “Yes! I trust You! Just please help me!” The voice replied, “Then let go.” Looking down at the rocky ground below, the man hesitated and then called back, “Is there anyone else up there?!”

This humorous yet thought-provoking story highlights a common struggle—trusting God fully while clinging to what feels safe. Many people hold onto things like pride, past experiences, pain, or control, fearing what might happen if they let go. But true strength begins where self-reliance ends.

A Call to Remember and Release

In Deuteronomy 8, God prepares the Israelites to enter the Promised Land. Before they move forward, He reminds them of their past and warns them not to trust in their own strength.

1. Remember Where Strength Comes From

Deuteronomy 8:2 states, “Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you…”

The Israelites were entering a season of abundance, but first, they needed to remember their journey. The wilderness was not just a time of hardship—it was preparation. God allowed challenges to develop their faith, not to destroy them.

When people forget what God has done, they risk shifting their trust from Him to themselves. This is a common tendency, especially when life is going well. Deuteronomy 8:3 reinforces this lesson, emphasizing that dependence on God is greater than reliance on physical sustenance.

Jesus later quoted this verse in Matthew 4:4 when He was tempted in the wilderness, showing that true survival comes from trusting God’s word. Similarly, real strength is found not in personal efforts but in trusting in God’s provision.

Reflection: Take a moment to recall a time when complete dependence on God was necessary. Let that memory serve as a reminder to trust Him fully today.

2. Let Go of the Self-Made Mentality

Many people take pride in being "self-made," attributing success solely to personal effort. However, Proverbs 16:18 warns, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Deuteronomy 8:17-18 cautions against this mindset: “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth…”

While God provides strength, skills, and opportunities, gripping too tightly to success can lead to forgetting the true Source. Trust should not be placed in achievements, financial stability, or personal image but in God alone.

Psalm 20:7 declares, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” This should be the foundation of faith—recognizing that success comes from God’s hand, not personal efforts alone.

3. Release the Egypt Mindset

Deuteronomy 8:14 warns that pride can lead to forgetting God: “Then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”

Even after being freed, the Israelites often longed for Egypt, a place of familiarity and control. Many still operate with an “Egypt mindset” today, believing:

• “If I don’t work for it, I don’t deserve it.”
• “If I can’t control it, I can’t trust it.”

However, faith is not about returning to past securities but stepping into God’s promises. Isaiah 43:18-19 encourages forward movement: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”

Grace is not something earned—it is received. And receiving God’s grace is not a sign of weakness but of true freedom.

4. Don’t Forget God in Success

Deuteronomy 8:10-11 reminds believers to acknowledge God even in times of abundance: “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God… Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God…”

It is easy to seek God in difficult times, but He calls for faithfulness in success as well. Spiritual pride can arise when blessings lead to self-reliance rather than gratitude. The Promised Land is not a reward for human effort—it is a gift of God’s mercy.

Developing a habit of remembrance is crucial. A simple practice is to start each day with the declaration: “God, I remember it was You who brought me here.”

5. Trust the God Who Tests and Trains

Deuteronomy 8:5 compares God’s discipline to that of a father training his son: “Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.”

Discipline is not a sign of God’s absence but of His investment in growth. The wilderness experiences in life are meant to strengthen and prepare, not to punish. Hebrews 12:11 reinforces this: “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

Every test, delay, and challenge serves a purpose in refining character and faith.

Reflection: Consider what challenges might be a form of God’s training rather than obstacles to overcome. Pray: “Lord, don’t let me waste this wilderness.”

6. Let Go and Rise

Grip strength is not about holding on tightly—it is about knowing when to let go. 2 Timothy 2:21 states: “Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.”

God is not just looking for human strength—He desires surrender. When people release what they have tightly held, they make room for what He wants to place in their hands.

Final Challenge: What Are You Holding Onto?

Is it pain, pride, control, or the past? Loosen your grip, trust in His hand, and step into the future He has already prepared. True security is not found in self-made success but in a surrendered heart.

God is not asking for stronger hands—He is asking for open ones.