The hands of Jesus
Martha Olawale
“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there, your hand will guide me; your right hand will hold me fast.” Psalm 139:7-10
Holding hands is one of my husband’s and I’s favorite things because it got us through different seasons of life. I had the opportunity to teach the value of it to my daughter recently when she pulled her hands away as I tried to hold her. I’ve always loved her tiny hands on mine and knew we had to have one of our little talks.
I explained to her the importance of putting our hands in trusted hands and what it symbolizes. It’s a simple reminder that you are not alone and a way to say something without using spoken words. From then on, we agreed that no matter where we are, if she sees my hand, she must place hers in it, regardless of how dirty it is or who’s watching.
Many of us walk through life, placing our hands in the hands of Christ today and removing it tomorrow. We venture along paths, believing we know what we are doing and think we don’t need to hold on to him for the ride. We choose the seasons of life to walk with Him holding and those we think we can walk alone. We scramble in the dark, looking for a way out because, at some point, we let go of the hands of Majesty.
No season of life gets too messy for God to pull away from us. He is steadfast and won’t let go when we surrender to Him. Just hold on to God! David said in Psalm 73:21-23 “When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.
There is something genuinely comforting about holding hands. As simple as the gesture is, even in silence, it speaks volumes. It tells you that you are not alone, that the person next to you, holding your hands, is connected to your heart. It assures you that if you trip or fall, you have a helping hand to pull you back up.
Place your hands in the hands of Jesus because how you respond to what life throws at you depends on whose hands you place yours. If your hands are in Jesus’s hand when you walk through the shallow waters, He’ll hold you; when you walk through the deep ends, He’ll carry you; in the dark, He’ll be your guide; and when the sun shines, He’ll shield you.
