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Hand In Hand
Justin SmithPsalm 37:23-24- "The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand."
One of my son’s, Zeke’s, favorite things to do, as a 4 year old boy full of spunk and energy, is to climb up on railings, ledges, or anything up high and leap off like a budding superhero. BUT, there’s one condition to his bravado, one thing which always must take place for him to work up the courage to leap off of tall buildings in a single bound, and that condition is that he wants to be holding my hand. He knows that as long as dad is holding his hand he is safe. If for any reason he finds himself in over his head, whether the ledge is too high or the jump is too far, He will always be held up and guided to a gentle landing if dad’s got his hand. The fear, anxiety, and worry melt away, and he feels he can do the impossible, which sometimes gets us both in to sketchy situations…but I digress.
This morning, this picture of Zeke and I holding hands doing what he could never do on his own, rising above rails and overcoming obstacles, was a miniscule glimpse of what my Heavenly Father does, and desires to do, for me. Psalm 37 declares, “…for the Lord holds them by the hand”…and because of that promise there is assurance that I will never fall, though I may stumble. He directs, delivers, and delights…directing my steps through hardships, delivering me through the obstacles and challenges, and delighting Himself in every detail of my life. What hope lies in wait for those who hold the hand of Him who is greater.
Here’s my part:
- I must walk as a Godly man: Living a life that pleases the Father is one vital key in this formula, that I often bypass. I must submit…submit to His leadership, His Lordship, and His love. Walking in purity, making time for personal devos, and loving people more are keys that unlock His power.
- I must hold His hand: I must not go running off, I must never think I know better, I must not take my own path, but I must remain hand in hand with Him. I picture a rebellious child, never my children of course, running toward traffic with their parent franticly screaming for their attention. How often have I been that kid, running off on my own with my Father shouting for my attention. I wonder how many times my Father has declared…if only…if only Justin trusted, if only he remained, if only he held on to my hand the obstacles we could overcome, the rails we could rise over…the things we could do.
Lord, for those times that I have left you and the safety of your hand for selfish pursuits please forgive me. For the times that I have strayed in disobedience, please allow your grace and mercy to cover me. The desire of my heart is to walk with You and for You. Please find great delight in the details of my life as I surrender to You.
