Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.
Psalm 37:24
My little grandson, Marshall, was reluctant to step into the water at all. We were enjoying a special day at the lake, and he was happy to just be on the beach. But as I took his hand, he was willing to walk with me into the water, one small step at a time. When he became comfortable with a few steps, I decided to try another challenge. I let him stand by himself in the shallow water close to shore as I took a couple of steps away from him into the deeper water. As I reached out my hands and asked him to come to me, he began taking careful steps toward me reaching out to take hold of my hands again. I loved watching his trust build step by step!
We have a pool at our home, and I had more opportunities to build on that trust with Marshall. I would have him stand at the side of the pool while I stood in the water. I would hold out my arms and invite him to jump. I’ll never forget his question: “Will you catch me?” My answer was, “Yes, I will catch you. I promise.” Imagine my delight as he jumped from the edge of the pool into my arms. His trust that I would catch him gave me such joy!
That was a perfect picture for me of what God wants from us when we are facing uncertain circumstances, or when He calls us to do something that seems difficult or even impossible. He doesn’t expect us to dive immediately into the deep end. He calls us to come to Him in faith, taking just the next step, believing His promise that He is there, no matter what! Then He will lead us to each next step. His Word assures us that He loves us, He knows exactly what is happening every moment of our life. He promises to never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). He is holding our hand.
Here are some scriptures that encourage my heart, and I pray they will encourage you too.
Isaiah 43:2 (NLT) 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.
Psalm 63:8 (NLT) I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.
Psalm 20:6 (NASB) Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand.
Psalm 16:8 (NASB) I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
PERSONAL REFLECTION
Are you facing uncertain circumstances in your life right now? Which of these scriptures can you receive as God’s encouragement to you?
Is God calling you to do something that seems too difficult, or even impossible? Will you take His hand and trust His promise to provide all you need to do it?
Dear Sherrilyn,
I loved your encouragement this morning and needed to be reminded of GOD’s faithful love and trustworthiness. I purpose to keep taking that “next step” in trust and obedience. The enemy wants to discourage me and tells me I’m on my own to figure things out. I need a new beginning paragraph for my book. I’ve strained my brain repeatedly. I can only bow before the Lord and wait for Him to inspire me with the next step. Thank you for your sweet encouragement, dear Sherrilyn!
Thank you for this beautiful devotional and reminder verses at the end. We all tend to forget that He is always there and will catch us, lead us as we timidly venture into the unkown. God bless you this week.
Thank you Sherrilyn. Just what needed as we struggle in dealing with my Mom’s estate and going thru all her treasures. Bless you
Hanne
So very revelent in our current times. What a faithful God have we!
Thank you Sherrilyn for your uplifting post. I truly enjoyed it.
Blessings,
Bonnie Cross