Weekly Devotional 


Upheld
by Julie B Cosgrove

The store was crowded. It was Saturday and people pushed through to get to where they were going with an occasional grunt meant to be an "excuse me" gesture. Noises, organized chaos. Ahead of me was a mother and her child, maybe three or four years old. The little girl was trying to match her four steps to each of her mother's hurried strides. The lights, the music, the merchandise displays and all the people had her head spinning this way and that tying to take it all in. Suddenly she reached up a small stubby hand, opening and closing it in fast succession. The mother, without missing a beat, smiled down, slowed her pace just a bit, and extended her hand to meet the anxious fingers and clasp them. Their stride now matched and the look on the child's face softened.

It made me think of one of my favorite verses in Isaiah: Do not fear for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you for I am your God. I will strengthen you; surely I will help you. Surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. vs. 41:10 (NIV)

There are times even us grown-ups feel like that little girl. Lost in the confusion, the din, the hurriedness of life, is all seems unsettling. We cannot match out steps to the stride of the world, our legs are tired from trying. So, we reach up to God for comfort, reassurance and protection. He smiles down and grabs our hand. Then we walk together. Secure in His grasp, the world doesn't seem so chaotic and scary. We can handle it because He is handling us. We feel safe knowing He won't leave us and if it gets too much, He will reach down, pick us up and carry us a while. Then, when the chaos has lessened or we wiggle, He calmly set us back down, still holding onto our tiny hand.

That is until something attracts our attention. With new courage, we drop His hand and veer off to check it out. That happens, doesn't it? Then, like a parent in a crowded department store, He watches, never taking His eye off of us until we once again return to His side and reach up our little hand for Him to grasp once more.


Question: Do you feel in your walk with God that He is holding onto your hand or not? Who let go? Why?