“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you;
He will never leave you nor forsake you.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
Deuteronomy 31:8
I’ve been in a desert season. There are times when I cannot muster
up anything beyond thanking God for this promise. I find comfort in the imagery
of these words…God standing by my side, refusing to let go, refusing to turn me
over to myself; God protecting me, defending me from the enemy that threatens to
destroy me from within.
What kind of love is this that would be so unrelenting in
its pursuit of a child who is continually wanting down from Daddy’s lap? It’s God’s
kind of love – the kind that surpasses all understanding and the kind that is
holding onto me. Like a parent holding fast to the hand of a child, God just
won’t let go.
The funny thing is I always thought it was me holding onto
Him! I always believed the least I could do, especially during the dry times, was to hang onto Him for all I was
worth. Of course, I failed repeatedly which only led to some heavy guilt and condemnation.
I set in motion a crazy cycle of thinking the power to rescue me depended on my
ability to hold onto God. Doesn’t this just reveal so clearly who I thought was
in control?
Yet God, in His infinite wisdom, let me believe my own lie…because,
according to this scripture, He knew what lay ahead of me and He knew I would
eventually come to the end of myself and discover the truth – He’s been holding
onto me all along.
I am holding God’s hand in this dry season and thank
goodness it’s because He refuses to let me go!
