In
2014, I wrote a blog entitled “Just a closer walk with Thee”. In it, I attempt to ask and answer the
question if it is God who holds on to us, or vice versa. I don’t often do this, but I’ve decided to submit
that blog to you again. I do this
because, for years, my dad signed off of his radio broadcast by saying, “God
bless! Keep your hand in His hand, and keep on keeping on.” I consider these words to be an inspiring challenge. In honor of Dad, I want to present that blog
content again. Here is what I said:
“Recently I heard a sermon where the pastor encouraged his
congregation to hold on to God. At first…my
mind went to the Biblical instances that taught seemingly the exact opposite:
that it is God who holds on to us. To cite just one Biblical example, in
Psalm 73, the Psalmist says these words to God: “Yet I am always with you; you
hold me by my right hand” (verse 23).
God does hold us, and I firmly believe that He will never, ever let us go. But, interestingly enough, the Bible also encourages us to hold on to God as well. I want to be clear here: this is not a contradiction. This is essentially two sides of the same coin. Let me paint two scenes that will help illustrate my point.
Scene #1: Picture a parent who is with their young child at a mall, or some other crowded venue. The parent is holding the child's arm tightly, but the child isn’t staying close to the parent. The child wants to run off and see all of the attractions. The grip of the parent remains tight and secure, but he has to occasionally pull the child closer to him, so that he or she won’t get lost in the crowd. The parent does this out of love, of course, so the child will remain safe and protected from roaming the busy mall all alone.
Scene #2: Picture a boyfriend with his girlfriend (or a husband and wife) in a mall. The two are walking through the attractions and they are holding hands. They are walking together, simply enjoying being with each other and spending time together. There’s no reason for one to yank on the other to stay close; this couple is in love and they want to be close to one another.
These scenes show that God is holding my hand, and also the way I hold on to Him. In scene #1, God’s grip is tight and constant, but my grip, for all intents and purposes, is absent. In scene #2, God’s grip is tight, but I’m holding tightly on to Him as well. Boiled down its essence, the main difference between these two scenes is the closeness I have with God.
The Bible says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). It is a compelling thought to daily choose to say to God, “Lord, I want to hold on to You today. I want to be close to You. I want to be like that couple in the mall, holding hands, simply enjoying a close, loving companionship with each other.” [A song lyric says, “Just a closer walk with Thee; grant it Jesus, is my plea. Daily walking close to Thee; let it be, dear Lord, let it be.”]
Let me be candid with you. Too often in my life, I’m like that child in scene #1. God’s hand tightly grips mine, but I’m far more interested in checking out all the attractions, and He has to gently pull on me to get closer to Him. Why is this? Because my heart really is, as the old hymn puts it, “Prone to wander.” I want to be close to God; I want to enjoy intimate fellowship with Him, but I also know how sinful and fickle my really heart is. Perhaps you can relate!
Therefore, it is important for us to be reminded that it is unrealistic to declare that we will never again veer away from God. There will be both good days and bad days in this venture, and no one will live this out perfectly. It is not possible to live a life of sinless perfection. But, at the same time, it is a worthy aspiration to desire to walk closer with God and we shouldn’t allow the fact that we will occasionally fail in this goal to stop us from trying altogether. That would be a tragic mistake.”
God does hold us, and I firmly believe that He will never, ever let us go. But, interestingly enough, the Bible also encourages us to hold on to God as well. I want to be clear here: this is not a contradiction. This is essentially two sides of the same coin. Let me paint two scenes that will help illustrate my point.
Scene #1: Picture a parent who is with their young child at a mall, or some other crowded venue. The parent is holding the child's arm tightly, but the child isn’t staying close to the parent. The child wants to run off and see all of the attractions. The grip of the parent remains tight and secure, but he has to occasionally pull the child closer to him, so that he or she won’t get lost in the crowd. The parent does this out of love, of course, so the child will remain safe and protected from roaming the busy mall all alone.
Scene #2: Picture a boyfriend with his girlfriend (or a husband and wife) in a mall. The two are walking through the attractions and they are holding hands. They are walking together, simply enjoying being with each other and spending time together. There’s no reason for one to yank on the other to stay close; this couple is in love and they want to be close to one another.
These scenes show that God is holding my hand, and also the way I hold on to Him. In scene #1, God’s grip is tight and constant, but my grip, for all intents and purposes, is absent. In scene #2, God’s grip is tight, but I’m holding tightly on to Him as well. Boiled down its essence, the main difference between these two scenes is the closeness I have with God.
The Bible says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). It is a compelling thought to daily choose to say to God, “Lord, I want to hold on to You today. I want to be close to You. I want to be like that couple in the mall, holding hands, simply enjoying a close, loving companionship with each other.” [A song lyric says, “Just a closer walk with Thee; grant it Jesus, is my plea. Daily walking close to Thee; let it be, dear Lord, let it be.”]
Let me be candid with you. Too often in my life, I’m like that child in scene #1. God’s hand tightly grips mine, but I’m far more interested in checking out all the attractions, and He has to gently pull on me to get closer to Him. Why is this? Because my heart really is, as the old hymn puts it, “Prone to wander.” I want to be close to God; I want to enjoy intimate fellowship with Him, but I also know how sinful and fickle my really heart is. Perhaps you can relate!
Therefore, it is important for us to be reminded that it is unrealistic to declare that we will never again veer away from God. There will be both good days and bad days in this venture, and no one will live this out perfectly. It is not possible to live a life of sinless perfection. But, at the same time, it is a worthy aspiration to desire to walk closer with God and we shouldn’t allow the fact that we will occasionally fail in this goal to stop us from trying altogether. That would be a tragic mistake.”
I don’t know about you, but I’ve renewed
my commitment to keep my hand in His hand; to have a closer walk with God.
Kevin
Kevin
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