A Tenacious Trust: Alex’s Story

Alex stood at the hospital bedside, gripping his wife’s frail hand. The steady rhythm of the heart monitor was the only sound filling the room, punctuated by the occasional shuffle of nurses in the hallway. Sarah, his wife of twenty-five years, lay motionless, her body weakened by an unexpected and aggressive illness that had taken hold just weeks before. The doctors had spoken in measured tones, their words laced with sympathy: “We’re doing everything we can, but her body isn’t responding the way we hoped.”

Alex had never been one to waver in his faith, but this—this was different. It wasn’t a fleeting trial or a momentary hardship. This was the woman he had built his life with, the one who had stood beside him through years of joys and struggles. The thought of losing her pressed against his chest like an unbearable weight.

Yet in the depths of his sorrow, a verse had anchored itself in his heart:

"I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done." — Psalm 118:17

This had been Sarah’s favorite verse, one she had declared over their family countless times. It was the scripture she had whispered over their newborn son when he was struggling to breathe in the NICU. It was the promise she had clung to when Alex lost his job, and their financial future seemed uncertain. And now, in this moment, it was the promise Alex refused to let go of.

The Wrestling of Faith

But faith wasn’t coming easily.

Doubt crept in like a relentless tide, whispering, What if God doesn’t heal her? What if you misunderstood His promise? What if hope is just setting yourself up for greater pain?

Alex clenched his jaw, gripping Sarah’s hand tighter. He had seen others turn away from God in the face of tragedy, questioning His goodness when the answers didn’t come the way they had expected. But Alex knew that tenacious faith wasn’t about clinging to an outcome—it was about clinging to the One who had spoken the promise.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. God, I refuse to believe that this is beyond You. You are not silent, and You have not abandoned us. You have given us Your word, and I will stand on it.

In that moment, a shift took place—not in Sarah’s condition, but in Alex’s heart. His circumstances had not changed, but his resolve had deepened. He would not waver. He would stand, not in desperation, but in certainty. Whether Sarah was healed in this life or in eternity, God's word was true. He was not trusting in the verse as a formula—he was trusting in the God behind the promise.

Faith in Action

Day after day, Alex remained at Sarah’s bedside. He read scripture over her, not with the pleading tone of a beggar, but with the quiet assurance of a son who knew His Father’s voice. Nurses came and went, some watching with curiosity, others moved by the steadiness in his voice.

One evening, as he whispered Psalm 118:17 once again, Sarah stirred. Her fingers twitched in his hand, and her lips parted as she mumbled, “I will not die but live...”

Alex’s heart pounded. He leaned closer.

Sarah’s eyes fluttered open, groggy and weak, but filled with something unmistakable—life.

Tears streamed down Alex’s face as a deep, settled peace washed over him. He didn’t know what the future held, but he knew this: God’s word had never been in question. The victory had been won long before Sarah opened her eyes—because tenacity in faith is not measured by the outcome but by the refusal to let go of the One who is always faithful.

The Takeaway

Alex’s story reminds us that faith isn’t passive. It isn’t sitting back and hoping for the best. It’s standing firm in the face of uncertainty, knowing that God’s promises are not fragile. They do not break under pressure. His word remains true, even when circumstances scream otherwise.

Spiritual tenacity is not about forcing an outcome—it is about believing in the faithfulness of the One who holds the outcome in His hands.

Like Alex, may we stand firm, unwavering, knowing that God's promises are sure. Not because we will always understand His timing or His ways, but because He is unshakable.