God's Firm Grip~

Tuesday greetings,

I love babies, all kinds.  And for the past week, as my sister prepares to move into her new home, I have been helping to take care of her new Chihuahua puppy.  His name is Christmas, because as you may have guessed, it was given to her on that day.  Christmas likes to snuggle on a blanket in anyone’s arms and will doze for hours.  You can be certain that whoever is holding him makes sure they are safely doing so. 

I have also held my niece and nephews when they were minutes old and made sure they were tightly swaddled.  And my own kids? Please! Rachel, who was a bit of a crier, was nicknamed the gorilla because she rode my back until she was almost two.  But I still recall how warm and cuddly all those babies were, and it reminds me of Someone.

No matter how safely and securely I have held anyone, or you either, for that matter, God’s hold on us is the strongest.

Isaiah 41:13 “I, your God, have a firm grip on you and I’m not letting go. I’m telling you, ‘Don’t panic. I’m right here to help you.’”

The same God Who created the heavens and the earth has a solid, tight, unyielding, absolute hold on you.  The same God Who made Saturn the furthest planet from the earth –the internet says Saturn is about eight billion miles away and that if we all left now and traveled 20,000 MPH, it would take about five years to get there – is the same One who holds us.  The creation of the vast universe speaks of His unlimited and glorious power, and the Saturn reference is just one of trillions that should encourage us because there is nothing or no one like Him—OMNIPOTENT is He, and yet He cradles us.

I am so comforted to know that He holds me and is never letting go.  He’s also never letting go of my children and never letting go of you and yours.  Don’t wiggle so hard to get away.  Stay right there in His grip through prayer!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that You hold us safe and sound.  Help this truth to really penetrate our souls because when we firmly believe that we are in Your hands, we have peace, joy, hope, and we sleep better.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

Hold me Close~

TGIF Greetings:)

One of my heroes of faith is a dear friend of mine who is an 80 year old woman.

We actually have several things in common, like a love for Christ and a never-ending concern for our families that keeps us in prayer.

And this precious soul has entered a unexpected season of life where she is sole caretaker for her four-year-old great-grandson.

When the call came that this little boy needed a place to call home, she looked up to heaven and asked God for the strength to do it. Why strength?  Because she already had the love and desire; at her age she needed the energy.

Imagine trying to raise an energetic pre-schooler who regularly goes in the backyard and yells out for his mom because he is sure she must be lost.  He does not grasp the fact that he has been abandoned.

Strong words, but true.  Seven months have passed and not a call or a visit or an anything from his mom or anyone else.

Yet talk to my friend and she will eagerly explain that her youth has been renewed.  That she has been given a purpose, and she will see it through.  That the adventure she is on, while sometimes difficult, is always filled to overflowing with love.  That a particular Bible verse has exploded with new meaning: Psalm 27:10 "Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close."

God is holding this little boy close--through the loving arms of his great-grandma:)

How is God holding you close today? It may not be in a "traditional" way, but it is so, nonetheless. 

Prayer: Dear Lord, No matter what, You will find a way to make sure we are held. Open our eyes to see it, and give us grateful hearts.  In Jesus' name, Amen~