The other morning after parking my car in the gym parking lot, I began the long walk towards the entrance to the gym. As I did, I noticed this young mom with her small young son walking hand in hand ahead of me. As with all young boys, this young boy was doing all he could to get away from the grip of his mother’s hand so he could ‘explore’ all the neat stuff that he was walking by; rocks, curbs, bushes and whatever that thing was that was smashed on the pavement.

I watched as this young mom kept trying to pull her son back to her as her young boy was trying everything he could think of to get free of her grip. As the young boy did this, it was as if he was saying, “Mom, you are holding my hand too tight. There is a lot of neat stuff out there I want to see and explore.” The young boy wasn’t paying any attention to all the cars that were driving by, many of them far too fast for a parking lot. All he was concerned about was getting out of the grip of his mother’s hand so he could do what ‘he’ wanted to do.

As I watched this all take place the Holy Spirit revealed to me how often we too try to get out of the grip of our Heavenly Father’s hand; out of His safety so we can do what we want to do; you know, explore all that neat stuff we see in the world. Just as that young boy, we see all the many fascinating things in life that draw our curiosity; calling for us to come and explore; come taste and see they say to us. As with that young boy, we fail to recognize the security we have when take hold of our Lord’s hand or the dangers we face when we are out of His grip.

David declares of the Lord in Psalm 63:7-8 “Because You (Lord) are my help, I will sing in the shadow of Your wings. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.” Speaking of the Lord, Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:12 “For I am the Lord, your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”

I remember many times walking with my mother and holding on to her hand in a busy place. As long as I held on to her hand, I felt safe. It was only when for some reason I lost my grip of her hand that I felt unsure, unsafe. David says in Psalm 16:1 “Keep me safe, O God, for in You I take refuge.” Psalm 4:8 “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” The psalmist says of the Lord in Psalm 73:23 “Yet I am always with You; You hold me by my right hand.”

We face many dangers when we decide to let go of the Lord’s hand, when we stray from His commands. In responding to the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law as to why His disciples did not wash their hands before they ate, Jesus said in Mark 7:8 “You have ‘let go’ of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.” When we let go of the Lord try to grab on what the world is saying, we are in trouble.

One of the devotions I read daily says, “Hold My hand and walk joyously with Me through this day. Be on the lookout for everything I have prepared for you: stunning scenery, bracing winds of adventure, cozy nooks for resting when you are weary and much more. I am your guide, as well as your constant Companion. I know every step of the journey ahead of you, all the way to heaven. Don’t worry about what is around the next bend. Just concentrate on enjoying My Presence and staying in step with Me.” 

Whether we want to admit it or not, we are holding the hand of something in our life. For some it is the hand of success, for others it the hand of money, for others it is the hand of importance and for others it is the hand of defeat. Only as we determine to hold on to the hand of Lord, will we be able to experience His peace, His joy in our life. The Lord is calling out to you and me saying; Hold My Hand. Grab on to the Lord’s hand my dear brother, my precious sister and hang on for dear life; eternal life 🙂