Hands Tightly Clasped

These words from Isaiah have long been a comfort for me in times of fear or hardship:

“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” (Is. 41:13)

It reminds of me a shy little girl who would hold tightly to her father’s hand when off on a new adventure. My dad’s hands were rough from outside labor, his strong grip passing along bravery I didn’t have within myself.

I looked at these verses a bit differently this week. My right hand is my dominant hand, the one in which I would wield a sword in battle, protect myself from the enemy. If my right hand is firmly clutched in the hand of my Heavenly Father, it means I am completely vulnerable and in a position of deep trust. If He is holding my hand, it means He is fighting for me. He is taking the lead, showing me the way to go. I am dependent, weak, but holding tightly to the Strong One who is able to lead me to victory for His glory and not my own.

With only 3 weeks to go until our location changes from bustling city to small border town, I keep thinking of strategies for the task, all the things that must happen for a movement to be birthed. This is all well and good unless I am relying on my own power and strength, motivated by others’ expectations and my own. This week, God has said, “Will you take My hand- come to a position of full dependance and vulnerability?” I want to say, “Yes”, to let the Holy Spirit birth the strategies in me as I lean further in, holding tightly to the Father.

Exodus 14:14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.