HOLD ONTO HIS HAND
SCRIPTURE READING:
Isaiah 41:13 For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I Who say to you, ‘Fear not, I am the One Who helps you.’
1. HOLD ONTO HIS HAND IN AN EVER-CHANGING WORLD
– We live in a world that is changing as we speak.
– Things that we could have been sure of, now seem unsure.
– We live in a very fluid situation and therefore we need to have an anchor to hold onto.
– The Lord wants you to know that He is your God.
– He is holding onto you, and you can hold onto Him.
– He is the One Who wants to come and reassure you that He will see you through.
– He is the One Who promises to help you and therefore He tells you not to fear.
– Isaiah 41:13 For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I Who say to you, ‘Fear not, I am the One Who helps you.’
2. HOLD ONTO HIS HAND WHEN THINGS SEEM UNPREDICTABLE
– We live in a world that is unpredictable.
– I recently heard a story about someone in a certain career. His career was sure, and his skill was in high demand. He was always sure of a good job and lived with this certainty. But with the unpredictability of life, he lost his job and could not find another one. Many others, in the same field, found themselves in the same predicament. No one could have seen a change like this, and it left him exposed and vulnerable.
– When we face these very unpredictable aspects of life, we need to know that we are holding onto His hand.
– Psalm 46:2-3 ‘Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.’
– No matter what may come our way, His hand in our lives is the hope and the certainty that we have to hold onto.
3. HOLD ONTO HIS HAND WHEN THINGS DON’T TURN OUT AS HOPED
– As a young man I had my life mapped out before me. The course was clear and the destination certain. For a period of about 10-12 years it just seemed as if everything was falling in line with the plan. Even the poor decisions I made, seemed to bring positive results. I was confident and willing to step out and take risks because each step brought good results. Things I had dreamt about became a reality. Then one day there was a turn in events and things changed. Today, I find myself in an utterly different place from what I had been expecting. But through it all, God had me by the hand, and He brought me through it into a place I could never have imagined. I am so thankful that He knew what was best and He brought it to pass. Little did I know that what God had for me was far greater than I could ever have hoped for, for myself.
– Psalm 18:36 ‘You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip.’
– Often when things don’t turn out as we had hoped, it is because God has something better in store.
– If you have been disappointed or if things have not turned out as you had hoped, hold onto His hand and He will make you strong again, and He will take care of you.
– Psalm 89:21 ‘I will steady him with My hand; with My powerful arm I will make him strong.’
4. HOLD ONTO HIS HAND WHEN FACING THE STORMS OF LIFE
– The storms of life are those inevitable things we have to pass through.
– Just as in nature a storm can come out of nowhere and rage around us.
– I remember my grandmother once telling me about a physical storm she experienced. She lived at the sea in a big old farmhouse and a storm blew in. She was alone and the wind howled, and the rain blew so hard against the windows that it sounded like bullets that were hitting the glass. Eventually she became convinced that the house would not be able to stand it much longer and she began to imagine how she would live in the back section of the house – if that was left standing. In the end the storm passed, and the house was still standing.
– In the storms of life, we need a strong refuge and place of safety.
– The Lord wants to be that for you and for me.
– The Bible contains a great story of a storm that hit the disciples as they were traveling by boat.
– Matthew 14:28-32 ”Lord, if it’s You,” Peter replied, ”tell me to come to You on the water.” ”Come,” He said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ”Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. ”You of little faith,” He said, ”why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.
– Take note of the fact that the Lord was with them and came to them in the worst of the storm.
– In the middle of the storm, the Lord allowed a miracle to take place and Peter walked on the water.
– When the storm became too much and Peter began to sink, Jesus immediately reached out His hand and caught Peter.
– He will do the same for you – don’t doubt, but have faith and believe.
– The storm will eventually pass, and you will enjoy fellowship with the Lord as you sail on to the next chapter of life.
5. HOLD ONTO HIS HAND WHEN ALL IS GOING AS PLANNED
– Sometimes when things are going smoothly, we can get lulled into the idea that we are managing on our own and we are on top of things.
– When everything in our lives is going as planned, we may feel that we do not need to hold onto His hand.
– I remember when I was a small child, I would walk along the edge of the ocean holding my mother’s hand. Every now and again I would get bold and brave and think that I could take on the ocean, all by myself. I would let go of her hand and run into the waves. Inevitably I would discover that the ocean was more powerful than I and it would knock me over, I would look up and my mother would be there with her hand extended and I would instinctively grab hold of it and be pulled up.
– It is human nature to think that we can do it by ourselves when everything is going as planned. But it is also the nature of life to throw curved balls, and it is then that we need to know that we are holding onto His hand.
– Psalm 73:23 ‘Yet I am always with you; You hold me by my right hand.’
– Even when you feel strong and things are going well, hold onto His hand – you never know the moment you will need it.
6. HOLD ONTO HIS HAND THROUGHOUT LIFE
– Holding onto His hand should be our lifelong ambition.
– We should live a life of dependency on Him.
– Learning to be independent is part of the process of life, but learning to stay dependent on Him, is even more important.
– Someone once told me that when we are born, we are totally dependent. We are completely reliant on others to take care of us. As we get older, we become independent, and we can do things for ourselves and don’t really need others. But when maturity comes, we realise that we need to become interdependent because, if the truth be told, we need each other.
– This applies to an even greater degree with the Lord.
– Don’t get into a cycle of needing God and then doing it by yourself.
– Develop your dependence on Him and hold onto His hand in good times and in bad times.
– Isaiah 46:4 ‘I will be your God throughout your lifetime- until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.’
By Andrew W Roebert
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