His Promise

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 (New International Version)

All it took was attending an event this past weekend where the speakers spoke of their special mentoring relationship and the longing in me was reawakened. I have known the preciousness of someone coming along side me and saying, “I am here for you. I will help you. I will watch over you.” I have known the sense of being nurtured and cared for by a significant person. Not a day goes by that my mind doesn’t think back to such a time and that I don’t still feel the ache of loss.

So yesterday when I came across this verse I was moved by God’s words as well as His promise. He knew what I needed to hear all over again. The Lord God has a hold of my hand and has continued to be my help. He will never step away…not even for a brief moment. He will never be distracted or disinterested. He will never grow tired of me. He will never be occupied with other things. From Him I will never experience a deaf ear, abandonment, rejection, or withdrawal. My problems are not too small to mention or too large for Him to handle. His heart will never change toward me and that affords me the freedom to confide in Him at all times.

I am embracing His words to me and I am offering them to individuals I know who are going through some difficult times at the present. One friend continues her battle with MS, another grieves the deaf of a niece due to an accidental drug over dose, another sits in a hospital room with a husband who is still unstable after an operation to remove his kidney, another is walking through the ordeal of her elderly mother being given a pace maker today, another walks through the dark valley with her daughter whose marriage has crumbled, a number of friends have experienced the death of parents or a spouse, the list is endless. To each I would extend God’s words from Isaiah 41:13. He holds their hands as well as their hearts. He will help them through these days. He alone can comfort them in ways that no other person can begin to comfort. He is there long after the phone calls, visits, and companionship subsides. I try to picture each one with Jesus sitting next to them…holding and upholding them. They are not alone….not for one moment. Life is hard but Jesus is faithfully present with each of us.

Father, I have needed the assurance for myself as well as for my friends. Thank you for the mercy, grace, and strength with which you anoint each of us. We need You and we love You! Amen.

Draw Me Close To You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALzCQn8LA4M&feature=related