A Hand To Hold

Israel had failed God. They had turned elsewhere for help. Now they were living with the consequences. They were in exile. Jerusalem had been destroyed, and they were far from their homeland. They might have felt forgotten by God and trapped in a hopeless situation. They were probably longing to worship in the temple again.

And they knew their own rebellion had helped bring them to this point. They might have even wondered whether God saw them at all. Maybe they no longer asked, “Will we ever go home?” but, “After everything we’ve done, will God still help us?”

They did not know when their time in Babylon would end or how God would fulfill His promises. He seemed so far away.

But God answers every one of their fears with Himself.

A few verses earlier, God had already said:
I am your God.
I am with you.
I will strengthen you.
I will help you.
I will uphold you.

But now God says, essentially:
I am here. I am holding your hand.

They had fallen. But God had not cast them off. He was not far away. He was close. When God called them “worm Jacob,” He acknowledged how small and helpless they were. Yet He also called Himself their Redeemer.

Sometimes help can seem distant, but holding a hand cannot. To take someone’s hand, you must be near.

When a grandchild is afraid and reaches for my hand, holding on can be enough for that moment. They know I am there. They know I won’t let go. They know they don’t have to face what frightened them alone.
I have not yet done anything to remove whatever frightened them. But they aren’t facing it alone anymore. My presence tells them, “I will help you.”

Even as an adult, I often feel completely incapable. Sometimes I suffer because of things outside my control. Sometimes I suffer due to my own poor choices. In both situations, I can trust the God who has made me His through Christ. He has not let go of me.

FEAR NOT when you feel small and helpless.
BECAUSE GOD IS holding your hand.