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. Isaiah 41:13 (NIV)
I have been blessed with a grandson. He brings such joy to my heart and honestly, words cannot express what that truly means. If you are a grandparent, you know what I mean. Recently, he started learning to walk. At first things were really shaky and I held his hand. Then, he became more sure of himself and more independent. He takes off across the room with no fear. As I follow him, I scan the room, the direction he is headed and note any cracks, folds, obstacles that he might stumble on. I don’t stop him from stumbling because it’s good for him to learn how to navigate things but I do stand close enough so that if he’s going to do serious damage I reach out my hand and grab his hand. It’s my way of protecting him and saying “It’s OK. I am here to help you.”
The other day as we were toddling around the room and I was monitoring his path, I realized this must be similar to what God does with us. He surveys our path; notes any cracks, folds or obstacles that we might stumble on and he waits. He doesn’t stop us from stumbling because in our faltering we learn but he does take hold of our hand when we need help and says “Don’t be afraid. I am here.” And as I reflect on the love I have for my grandson, I am overcome by the fact that God loves me more.