He Holds Our Hand

He holds our hand

My 3-year old son, Luke and I were enjoying ourselves recently, hiking in the dry creek bed near our house. Hiking is one of the many outdoor activities my husband and children and I often enjoy together, living in the “woods” of the beautiful Texas Hill Country. What a blessing this place is! In the creek bed, there is one area covered mostly with small, smooth rocks that is easy to navigate over. As the hike progresses, however, the terrain suddenly changes into very large, rough boulders. Once we come to this stretch of the hike, mommy must hold little Luke’s little hand as we climb over them, to avoid him slipping and injuring a knee, an elbow, or even worse, his head!

Luke loves to pick every flower he sees, for me. He thinks they are all beautiful and that his mommy should have all of them. On this particular day, he was cherishing a dandelion he had picked and was holding it tightly in his hand. Upon reaching the rough boulders, I reached down to grab his hand but I could not get a tight grip on it. Luke had his little hand closed, like a ball around this “weed” he called a flower. I explained to him that in order for mommy to protect him from slipping on the rocks and getting hurt, he must drop the flower and allow me to hold his hand the right way, tightly and securely. So, with some hesitation, he did what I asked and let go of what he thought was important and slipped his small hand into mine. As he watched the flower drop to the ground, in that moment, he realized it was not worth holding onto if it meant risk of injury. It was also in that moment when the Holy Spirit spoke so clearly to my heart. He said, “This is how it is with you. You try to hold onto things that you think are beautiful and important, but I am saying, let go of those things so that I can grab your hand, tightly and securely. The path of life is full of bumpy rocks and boulders and you must allow me to hold onto you as we cross over them, together. Don’t hold so tightly to the things of this world that can get in the way of what I have for you. They are not worth it. My plan is so much better. Drop those things so you can grab onto me!”

Father knows best, doesn’t He? He is standing there, arms outstretched, in our direction. He wants us to grab on and live our life in Him, safely resting in the palm of His hand.

Psalm 73:23-28
"Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. Those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you. But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do."

Open the book!

Psalm 73:23-28

23 Yet I still belong to you;
you hold my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
leading me to a glorious destiny.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
I desire you more than anything on earth.
26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
but God remains the strength of my heart;
he is mine forever.

27 Those who desert him will perish,
for you destroy those who abandon you.
28 But as for me, how good it is to be near God!
I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,
and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

This passage of scripture was exactly what I needed today. I needed God's glorious reassurance in the face of condemnation, His comforting in an often-times uncomfortable world, His strength when I felt defeated. He gave it to me, right here in His word. Amazing how He speaks to us!! What is He trying to say to you? Open the book and you will find out! God only knows what is waiting in there for you!

Grace, Grace and more Grace

You will never be called upon to give anyone more grace than God has already given you. - Max Lucado - In the Grip of Grace

No safer place than in the will of God!

There is no safer place than in the will of God!

Proverbs 29:25
"Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe."

Joshua 1:9
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

2 Corinthians 5:7
"We live by faith, not by sight."

Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all that you do and He will direct your paths."

Romans 8:31
"If God be for us, who can be against us?"

Psalm 34:7
"The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them."

Romans 8:38
"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love."

Hebrews 12:2-3 (The Message)
"Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!"

Romans 8:33
"Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies."

Isaiah 43:2
"When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you."

John 14:27
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid."

Isaiah 58:8-9
"Your godliness will lead you forward,
and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.
Then when you call, the Lord will answer.
‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply."

Isaiah 58:11
"The Lord will guide you always."

John 15:16
"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name."

John 16:33
"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Isaiah 59:19
"From the west, men will fear the name of the LORD,
and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory.
For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the LORD drives along."

Deuteronomy 33:27
"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.
He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, 'Destroy him!'

Psalm 91:1-10 (The Message)
"You who sit down in the High God's presence, spend the night in Shaddai's shadow,
Say this: "God, you're my refuge.
I trust in you and I'm safe!"
That's right—he rescues you from hidden traps,
shields you from deadly hazards.
His huge outstretched arms protect you—
under them you're perfectly safe;
his arms fend off all harm.
Fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night,
not flying arrows in the day,
Not disease that prowls through the darkness,
not disaster that erupts at high noon.
Even though others succumb all around,
drop like flies right and left,
no harm will even graze you.
You'll stand untouched, watch it all from a distance,
watch the wicked turn into corpses.
Yes, because God's your refuge,
the High God your very own home,
Evil can't get close to you,
harm can't get through the door.
He ordered his angels
to guard you wherever you go.
If you stumble, they'll catch you;
their job is to keep you from falling.
You'll walk unharmed among lions and snakes,
and kick young lions and serpents from the path."

The view from God's perspective, not mans'

Matthew 16:23 (New International Version)
Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

Matthew 16:23 (New Living Translation)
Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

Peter didn't understand that Christ's suffering and death were the means by which He would indeed secure the kingdom.

All Satan needs to have momentary victory over a disciple is for us to have in mind the things of men. Satan doesn't have to get us thinking blatantly satanic thoughts to have victory over us. All he needs is to get us looking at life from man's perspective rather than God's. If we surrender our minds to the things of God, we are safe! We don't have to constantly look out for our own best interests, because He's constantly looking out for them. What Peter didn't understand is that what may have seemed best in the short run would have been disastrous in the long run. Had Jesus saved His disciples the anxiety of His betrayal, trials and death, He wouldn't have saved them at all.

On this earth I don't know that we will ever perpetually have in mind the things of God rather than the things of man. If we don't make the deliberate choice to have in mind the things of God when faced with our biggest challenges, most of us will probably default back to our natural instinct - the things of man.

Developing the mind-set of one who is continually taking up his cross and following Christ is the heart of having "in mind the things of God."(Matthew 16:23) rahter than man. Don't forget that the issue that prompted this discourse was the identity of Christ. When we surrender to carrying our crosses and following Him, we identify with Him.

In Christ's invitation I see two other concepts: denying self and taking up the cross daily. Those who accept this invitation are called to deny themselves. I don't believe Christ was talking about the things we typically consider self-denial. The issue here wasn't fasting from food, nor was it denying self a single extra. It wasn't about self-loathing, for Christ commanded us to love our neighbor as ourselves. I believe the primary issue involved in this kind of self-denial is denying our right to be our own authority.

This passage brings us to the sobering realization that what we might think is our own authority - having in mind the things of men - could easily be transferred to Satan's authority. I've learned the hard way that denying my right to be my own boss is what k eeps me from getting slaughtered by Satan in warfare. Let's face it: this "be-your-own boss" stuff is nothing but a myth.

The key to true "follow-ship" with Christ is the recommitment to take up the cross daily. One reason I am drawn to Luke's version of this invitation over Matthew's is because he included an all-important word - daily.

- Beth Moore, Jesus, the One and Only

Luke 9:23-24
"Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it."

Galatians 5:24-25
"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives."

Hebrews 12:1
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us."

Trust Him to live through you

"Kept" by Arlene Zimmerman

"The LORD bless you, And keep you; The LORD make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace."
(Numbers 6:24-26)


Dear Sisters who are precious in Him:
When I first became a believer I felt compelled to overcome sinful 'self'and become spiritual. I did not realize it required much time and failure before I was able to give up self-effort for my growth. The self-life is our most resilient foe. For me to serve God acceptably I had to learn His way of victory over this subtle enemy.
Need produces spiritual hunger. My flesh is irrevocably fallen and God has one plan for it: co-crucifixion. God does not want to improve it and scripture teaches I am dead with Christ, dead to sin and alive to Christ. Not "dying", but dead. (Romans 6:6-7) Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.

Our part is not production, but reception of our life n Christ. No believer ever fell into maturity, even though we are complete in Christ. I remember as a young Christian, out of love for Jesus I wanted to live for Him. Though well-meaning, as growing believers it is time we go beyond the 'love' motive to the 'life'motive."For me to live is Christ"(Phil 1:21a) Our walk will be a roller coaster if our response to Him is from any other motivation than the response of His life in us. Yielding to Him on any other basis will amount to our trying to live for Him in the self-life. Unacceptable. Only what the Lord does through us is accepted by the Father. Growth takes time and cannot be hurried and He keeps!

I am so thankful scripture teaches we are "kept" by His power. (Psalm 121, Daniel 9:4) There is such security in knowing we are His treasure and He delights to keep us. His love for us is immeasurable. Stop trying to live for Christ and trust Him to live through you (by faith) because the new nature, the Christ-life in you, is the only One God acknowledges. Christ is our life. This is our only ground on which to stand and from this platform we are to count ourselves dead to sin... and alive to God. (Romans 6) We are to present ourselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1) and until we have done this there is nothing else we can do.

There is a reason for this order : Crucifixion comes before consecration.

(thoughts gleaned from NBtHH)


OT Kept; Keep: Strongs
8104" to hedge about as with thorns, to protect, to
attend to."

NT Keep: Strongs 5083
"to guard from loss or injury by keeping an eye upon,
hold fast"

Watchman Nee:
"Our sins were dealt with by the blood, we ourselves
are dealt with by the cross.The blood procures our pardon, the cross
procures deliverance from what we are in Adam. The blood can wash
away my sins, but it cannot wash away my old man: I need the cross to
crucify me- the sinner"

Psalm 145:20
The LORD keeps all who love Him,

Psalm 66:8-9
Bless our God, O people, And sound His praise abroad,
Who keeps us in life and does not allow our feet to slip.

I Peter 1:5
We are born again to) an inheritance incorruptible, and
undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are
kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.