Held Firm

As a mom, there are many times I have to hold my kids firmly. Sometimes it's to protect them when they do things like scale the couch at one year old. Often it's to comfort them when they are sad or hurt. Sometimes in a moment of discipline and parental disappointment, they need to feel the firm yet compassionate love of a mom who will never abandon them. Other times fear or confusion grip them, and they need the sense of security and safety found in their mother's arms. Doesn't our heavenly Father do the same? Doesn't He hold us firmly when our grip from Him slips as the struggles of the world weigh us down?

To say these are uncertain times is the understatement of the century. From the coronavirus pandemic to political unrest nothing seems sure. Will this virus change life as we’ve known it forever? Will our country go to war with itself as we continue to view political opposition as public enemy number one? Will our children become adults in a nation stripped of freedoms we thought might last forever? Is this the end? Is there anything that is certain anymore?

I can’t answer most of those questions, but I can answer that last one. There is something, or rather someone, who remains certain. Who has been certain since the beginning of time and will remain certain for all of eternity. There is One whose power and hope doesn’t rest in finding a cure for sickness, how you vote, whether you wear a mask, or how you school your kids. In Romans 8, Paul tells us that creation groans for the day it will be freed from death and decay. Just as creation groans, so do we. We long to be released from sin and suffering. We hope for a day when death and destruction are no more.

Psalm 37 says, "Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither.” This isn't saying we should ignore evil, never speak out against injustice, stop defending the weak, or be politically and socially apathetic. The Psalmist also says to “trust the Lord and do good.” We certainly should seek to do good in our homes, communities, nation, and world, but we don’t have to walk hopelessly in the face of sin and suffering. We don’t have to worry or rage about all that is wrong in the world. We can be still and wait patiently for God. We can know He is working all things according to His purpose for His glory and our good, even when we don't understand.

I doubt any of us would have decided the best way to win a battle would be to march around a wall playing trumpets (Joshua 6), but that's exactly what God had His people do, and it worked! God’s ways aren’t always conventional or practical to the human mind. We may never fully understand why He acts in a certain way or allows certain circumstances, but we can know He is good and always in control.

When we blow it, His grace covers our sin.

When people fail us, God stands firm.

When medicine doesn’t heal, God’s love and care haven’t ceased.

When loved ones hurt us, God is near to the brokenhearted.

When injustice is rampant on earth, we can know justice will prevail.

When leaders do evil, God still reigns.

When we lose faith, He remains faithful.

The LORD rescues the godly; He is their fortress in times of trouble. The LORD helps them, rescuing them from the wicked. He saves them, and they find shelter in Him. (Psalm 37:39-40) God is our rescuer, our fortress, our helper, our savior, and our shelter. There is hope found in Jesus who loves us and gave His life for us. By his love, we are held firm. Rest in His impenetrable grip.

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:28-29)