I WILL MAINTAIN

I Will Maintain
Job 13:15

There are certain phrases in Scripture that seem to carry more weight than the rest of the sentence. They are short, simple, and yet they thunder with truth.
Over the past several weeks, our preaching has centered around some of those three-word phrases. It wasn’t planned that way — but the Lord has a way of guiding themes.
We looked at “and kissed him” — that beautiful moment in the story of the prodigal son when the father ran to meet his returning boy and declared forgiveness without saying a word.
We considered Peter’s desperate cry, “Lord, save me”, when his faith faltered and the waves grew stronger than his confidence.
We rejoiced in the truth that Jesus loved them "unto the end.” Not halfway. Not until it became inconvenient. Unto the end.
And last week we reflected on “hereby perceive we” the love of God — that we understand love because Christ gave Himself for us.
This week, my attention turned to Job.
Job 13:15 says, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him: but I will maintain mine own ways before Him.”
At first, I was drawn to those words, “yet will I.” That would preach. But the more I looked at the text, the more the next three words caught my attention:
“I will maintain.”
And that may be exactly what someone needs to say today.

When You Don’t Understand
Job maintained when he did not understand.
Let’s be clear — faith does not mean full explanation. Job did not know about the conversation between God and Satan. He did not understand why the storms came. He did not understand why ten fresh graves stood where laughter once echoed.
In Job 23 he said:

“Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him.”

Have you ever been there?
You look forward — nothing.
You look backward — nothing.
Left. Right. Silence.
Heaven feels brass. Prayers feel unanswered. God feels distant.
But in the same chapter Job said, “But he knoweth the way that I take.”
That is faith.
Not that I understand Him — but that He understands me.
Job’s greatness was not that he figured God out. It was that he refused to walk away when he couldn’t.
He simply said, “I will maintain.”
Some of you have been walking with God for years, and you still have unanswered questions. That doesn’t make you weak. It makes you human.
Don’t wait for all the answers before you move forward.
Just put one foot in front of the other.
Maintain.

When You Are Accused
Job maintained when he was accused.
As if loss were not enough, his friends showed up. And instead of comfort, they brought condemnation.
“You must have sinned.”
“You’re reaping what you sow.”
“You deserve this.”
Job knew his testimony. The opening chapter of the book declares him righteous — a man who feared God and eschewed evil. Yet his friends interrogated him for days.
It is one thing to suffer.
It is another thing to suffer and be blamed for it.
But Job did not abandon his walk with God.
He maintained.
Think of Joseph in Potiphar’s house. Falsely accused. Stripped of position. Thrown into prison. He lost his coat — but he kept his character.
Think of Daniel. His enemies couldn’t find a flaw in him, so they created a law against him. He knew praying would cost him. He opened the window anyway.
They maintained.
You cannot control what people say.
You cannot stop accusations.
You cannot silence every critic.
But you can maintain your position with God.
If you don’t have a walk with God, you have nothing to maintain. But if you do — guard it.
Work at making God proud. That is not a cop-out. That is where we are supposed to live.
Anybody can stay faithful when life is easy.
It takes something deeper to say, “I will maintain” when life falls apart.

When Time Keeps Marching On
Job maintained — and eventually, he saw vindication.
The rebuilding did not happen overnight. Herds do not double in a day. Ten children are not born in a year. Restoration takes time.
Seasons kept coming. Summer. Winter. Harvest. Christmas. Valentine’s Day. Life does not pause for heartbreak.
But Job just kept walking.
And the Bible says in Job 42:16, “After this…”
Those two words are powerful.
After the funerals.
After the boils.
After the accusations.
After the loneliness.
“After this lived Job an hundred and forty years…”
If he had quit, he would have missed it.
If he had checked out, he would have forfeited four generations of influence.
If he had thrown in the towel, he would never have seen the Lord double what was taken.
The Bible says the Lord gave him twice as much as before.
And here’s something remarkable — he shared his inheritance with his daughters. In that culture, that was unheard of. That tells me he wasn’t just restored — he was abundantly blessed.
But none of that was visible when he sat in ashes.
All he had in that moment was his testimony.
And he said, “I will maintain.”
Hang Around Long Enough
Someone reading this is tired.
You’ve walked faithfully.
You’ve endured criticism.
You’ve buried things you loved.
You’ve watched others prosper who don’t even live for God.
David once wondered why the wicked flourish.
It can feel like obedience costs more than compromise.
But hear me — hang around long enough to see the vindication of the Lord.
Don’t quit on God.
Don’t quit on your family.
Don’t quit on your ministry.
Don’t quit on yourself.
If you cannot grow right now — maintain.
If you cannot advance — stand.
But do not go backward.
Paul told the believers in Ephesus that after putting on the whole armor of God, and after doing all — to stand.
Sometimes victory looks like growth.
Sometimes victory simply looks like refusing to retreat.
There may be days when all you can say is what Job said:
“Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him… I will maintain.”