You Will Not Fall
|
For years, I have wanted to paint a picture that I see in my mind, titled Salvation Made Simple. It would show Jesus walking along, holding the hand of a child, with the caption “Take My hand. You may stumble, but I will not let you fall.” (I am still practicing my painting skills.) We can all remember walking as a child with a parent holding our hand.
It is easy for children to stumble over something.
Yet how assuring it is to feel a stronger hand holding them up to keep them from falling. And when children grow to adulthood, they, in turn, hold the hands of their own children. God is our loving Parent, and He has promised to uphold us with His “right hand.” I have heard that “right hand” appears over one hundred times in the Bible.
I have also heard that this term has several meanings.
For example, it can simply indicate the hand on the right side of the body (Genesis 48:18), a location or position of honor (Hebrews 12:2), or giving help or strength (Psalm 18:35). In Isaiah 41:10, God promises both to help us and to hold us up with the strength of His “right hand of . . . righteousness” (KJV). When we stumble, His strong grip supports us as we regain balance and become upright again. He keeps us from scraping our knees, so to speak. Yet, in Isaiah 41:13, the writer states that God will hold our right hand.
I have wondered about the significance of that.
Though I do not have a specific answer, I do find comfort in the following comment that encompasses the assurance God gives us in verses 10–13 of Isaiah 41: “The heart of Infinite Love yearns after those who feel powerless to free themselves from the snares of Satan; and He graciously offers to strengthen them to live for Him.”* Praise God for His loving care and His strong right hand that keeps us from falling!
Elizabeth Versteegh Odiyar
* Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press®, 2005), 316.
