Sustain
“There is a teaching on the energies that is far more prosaic even practical to be found in the early fathers . That teaching can be understood by simply looking at the meaning of the word, “energy” or “energeia.” In Greek “energeia” simply means “doings” or “actions.” The Divine Energies thus means the divine actions, everything that God does. What does God do? He creates; He sustains; He holds all things in his goodness; He moves all things and draws all things towards union with Him. What we must understand is that this holding in goodness, this moving, this drawing, this uniting, this sustaining, this creating, is in fact God Himself as the Divine Energies. And understanding this we must see that “in Him we live and move and have our being.” (Father Stephen Freeman)
“God does not promise that we will never encounter tribulation nor escape it when it comes. But He does promise to sustain and strengthen us in it. In the midst of suffering and struggle, may we recall the Word of the apostle, “Who is he who overcomes the world, but He who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (vs. 5:5) and that He has already triumphed over whatever assaults us?” (Fr. Basil)
“He [Christ] has come to us as the Prince of Peace, offering a divine peace that is much greater than any comfort or security offered in this world. It is a peace that is available to all humanity, regardless of current challenges, threats, living conditions or stage of life. It is a peace that cannot be disturbed by the violence and insecurities of this broken world, for its origin is the God of peace, and it is sustained by His abundant grace…What we fail to realize is that grace is more than our destination, it is the journey itself, manifested in each breath and with each step we take. Grace surrounds us, whirls about us like the wind, falls on us like rain. Grace sustains us on our journeys, no matter how perilous they may be and, make no mistake, they are all perilous. We need not hope for grace, we merely need to open our eyes to its abundance. Grace is all around us, not just in the hopeful future but in the miracle of now.” (Archbishop Demetrios, Richard Paul Evans)
“Was your heart broken in the last year by a death, a lost friendship, lost income, a crippling illness, or perhaps by your own moral failure or that of someone close to you? Christ can heal us and strengthen us. We need only enter our hearts to find Him and ask that He touch us (Is 61:1)…God Himself, the Maker and Sustainer of the entire universe, has His infinite attention continually fixed on arranging every circumstance for your benefit (not what you want, but what will truly benefit you). All the twists and turns of your life, including those that you might not have chosen, have been especially customized by Providence to assist in your spiritual growth and ultimate well-being…Often it is great personal tragedy that enables us to tap into deeper meaning and to realize that the most permanent things are not to be found in what is happening around us.” (Dynamis 9/26/2019, Robin Phillips)
“…we are “bound” to give thanks to God every day. Of course, we must return our gratitude to God for the physical blessings that sustain us and the emotional bonds that support us. But most of all, we must, in humility, give thanks to God that He has chosen us for salvation. Without any merit on our part, He has put us on the path of deification and participation in the Life of the Holy Trinity.” (Fr. Basil)
“God wants us to give or burdens to Him, but we often continue to bear them ourselves even when we say we are trusting in Him. Trust the same strength that sustains you to carry your cares also…Do not think that the Lord has abandoned you. No! He is always with you and invisibly sustains you, even when you forget Him. He will not burden you with trials beyond your capacity. Fear nothing, but with total humbleness and devotion bear your cross and pray.” (Life Application Study Bible, Psalm 55:22, St. Innocent of Alaska)
“Our friendship with God is sustained in prayer, and it is in prayer that we encounter the will and purposes of God and allow God to speak to our wills, motives, our desires and our priorities. Nothing is so critical to our spiritual formation than the nurturing of our prayer…Our Christian life consists of a sustained effort to recover our lost likeness to God… Spiritual growth occurs as a result of intentional and appropriate effort.” (Dynamis 5/4/2015, Jerry Bridges. Gordon T. Smith)
“Refusing to live with God through Christ is the root cause of all sin. What enables human beings to cope with the anxieties and the adversities of life is their trusting relationship with God. Human ideologies or deeds in themselves cannot sustain life in the midst of adversities, suffering and pain. Such an attitude or pattern of life is idolatrous. In the words of St. Paul, those who adhere to such a pattern of life " exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator." (Rom. 1:25) The result is that the good things of the world that ought to be our tools become our masters.” (Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Clapsis)
“The consistent mark of those who are vehicles of grace is a life saturated in prayer, for they rely on sustained prayer whatever outward conditions they face…Thus, the hearts, words, and deeds of those who pray ceaselessly emerge obediently for the Lord, and grace is imparted according to the need of those they meet.” (Dynamis 10/5/2012)
“Grace is Christ's uncreated energy given to us through His love and mercy…This grace of God sustains us in the trials of life….God’s grace saves the willing.” (Orthodox Study Bible, John 1:14, 1 Peter 1:3, Romans 11:1-10)