DEVOTIONAL: Hold onto Me

‘For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” Isaiah 41:13

If there is one thing we can say about God, it’s that He knows exactly what we need when we need it. And He knows we need it long before we do. For the last little while, I’ve faced some difficult health challenges. Amid these health challenges, other challenges have surfaced, and I have at times found myself barely keeping my head above water. It has been a season where I have felt my resilience diminish, and my ability to see God has at times been hazy. There have been times when I have struggled to lift my eyes heavenward, instead succumbing to the pressure of what is happening.

He knows what we need.

But God in His kindness reaches out to us to remind us that He is there. One of the ways that God really encourages me is through praise and worship music. A few weeks back, as I was driving, feeling weary and tired, I was listening to some praise and worship music. It was a random playlist that I had found online. As I drove, Lauren Daigel’s song, Hold Onto Me came on, and just captured my heart.

Hold Onto Me

The lyrics of this song reminded me that God is near and He knows; He knows exactly what we are feeling.

“Hold on to me when it’s too dark to see You,

When I am sure I have reached the end.

Hold on to me when I forget I need You,

When I let go, hold me again.”

 Hold onto me when it’s too dark to see you. Our seasons can get dark. When you are dealing with constant health challenges and pain, it can be hard to hold onto hope. We can find ourselves relying more on the medical world to bring us peace than on God. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that God uses the medical world for healing and there are some amazing breakthroughs that come through the medical world. But in my case, at times I put so much hope in the medical world that when that it failed to give me answers, I almost fell apart. I clung to that instead of God, but these lyrics are a sweet reminder:

Hold on to me when I forget I need You, When I let go, hold me again.

Hold me, again, Lord.

When I forget that my hope is in You, hold me again. Those times I forget that no one can fill me with peace like You can, hold me again. Each time I forget, Lord, please hold me again. And again.

Peace can seem elusive, and the presence of God can feel just out of reach. Especially during challenging times. But isn’t He just the most gracious God that doesn’t hold our unfaithfulness towards Him against us? God’s love is not dependent on us, but on His character, which is one of love and grace and kindness. In Isaiah 41:13, God Himself tells us,

‘For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

He holds our right hand. It is God himself who helps us. He will not let us go. Even when we let go. When we look away or get distracted, God is still faithful and loves us. Because that is who He is. And isn’t that the most comforting and reassuring thing? To know that His love is not dependent on us; it is not something we need to earn or strive for. He freely loves us and reaches out His hand to help us.

Rest in His arms.

“I could rest here in Your arms forever,

‘Cause I know nobody loves me better,

Hold on to me, Hold on to me.”

There is no safer place to stop and rest than in God’s arms. No safer place. He is the God of peace and comfort and in His arms, we can find peace. In His arms, we can find compassion. We can find kindness. God is gentle and He will always treat our hearts with tenderness.

Isaiah 40:31 tells us, “but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Wait on the Lord.

Rest in His arms. There is no sweeter place to find restoration. Resting in the arms of the Lord is the only place we can find peace. Not peace like the world promises, but unshakeable peace. Soul deep peace. Peace that only Jesus can give.

Whatever you may be facing today, can I encourage you to turn to Jesus and rest in His presence. Lift your eyes to heaven, knowing that no matter the challenge, God knows. He knows what you are facing, and He knows what you need. Trust Him. Trust Him to love you and to care for your heart. There is no better place than in His arms because no one will ever love you better than the God that believed you were worth dying for.

As published on Looking In