Hold My Hand

For I hold you by your right hand—I, the LORD your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.’

Isaiah 41:13 (NLT)

There is something secure about holding hands. When we were little kids, holding the hand of a parent wasn’t gross or weird. It’s what we did. You held their hand because it felt nice, but it also felt safe. There is comfort in hand-holding. It’s as if we are making the statement, “I know you’ll help keep me safe.”

Indeed, in my household, we had a rule that anytime we exited the vehicle and proceeded through a parking lot or on a sidewalk, the kids were required to hold either my hand or Michelle’s. It really didn’t take much encouragement. It just kind of naturally happened. We reassured our kids that we would help guide them through the maze of cars – some moving, some drivers not paying attention – and the onslaught of shopping carts propelled by people on their cell phones. Because we had more experience with navigating through these areas (and we were tall enough to see more of what was going on), we were prepared to handle our job.

When it comes to the maze of life, it’s no different with God. He is eternal, so He’s been around a little longer than we have. He is large enough so see around the entire globe. He can see the past, present, and future. He can see the joys that we will experience, and guide us there. He can also see the sorrow we will have to go through, and He grips our hand even tighter. But, regardless of where we are headed, He doesn’t let go. He is there for us. He is there with us.

As our verse today states, “For I hold you by your right hand—I, the LORD your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.’” That same victorious right hand is the same victorious, scarred right hand of Jesus that holds us today. It’s as if God is saying to us, “Your Father is here. I’ve got you, and I’ll never let you go. I’m in this with you.”

No matter what issues we may face family, know that God is right there with you. He is holding your hand. He will guide you through. And, if you let Him, He will lead you right into an eternity with no more sorrow or pain, but only joy and peace.