Zachary Elliott
Special to Valley News
After 10 years of trying to have a baby, our cousins gave birth to their first child. A boy. The mother just got to hold him for the first time since his birth. They had to wait a few days since he was born at only 25 weeks and weighed a whopping 1 pound, 13 ounces.
If you didn’t know, that’s incredibly tiny. He basically could fit in the palm of your hand. But that didn’t stop the mother. She held him close to feel his skin on her chest so he could listen to her heart.
The picture of her holding her son is miraculous and heartwarming, to say the least. It speaks a million words of the love a mother has for her child, even one so tiny.
As much as new parents love their children and want to hold them close, it’s nothing compared to how much God loves his children, the born and the unborn. And yes, that includes you.
Here are three ways God holds your hand.
God holds your name in his hand.
Newborn children in the hospital have a matching band with their parents. It shows that they belong to each other.
God has engraved your name on his hand, showing that you belong to him. Isaiah 49:16 said, “See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.”
The way to get your name on God’s hand is by believing in and following his son Jesus Christ.
The question you have to ask yourself is, “Is my name written on God’s hand?”
God holds your hand when you’re weak.
There are not many things that a parent does more than hold their child’s hand. It offers comfort, help and is an intimate connection. It’s the way the stronger helps the weaker.
The wonderful thing about God is that he does precisely that for us. He holds our hand and leads us when we are weak and stumbling.
God said in Isaiah 41:13, “I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”
The question you have to ask yourself is, “Have I let go of God’s hand?”
God holds you up with his righteous hand.
The one thing a child always wants from a parent is goodness shown to them in love. Children crave it. In fact, we all crave it from our heavenly father.
The good news is that he does just that for us. Isaiah 41:10 told us, “Do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
When God said he will hold you up with His righteous right hand, he meant his excellent hand. Not that one is weaker than the other, but that his hand is good. It never does evil. It never misleads. It never betrays. It never grows tired. It’s always victorious and is the hand of complete blessing.
The question you have to ask yourself is, “Am I trying to hold myself up, or am I letting God, who never grows weary or tired, hold me?”
Zachary Elliott is the lead pastor of Fusion Christian Church in Temecula. For more information, visit https://www.fusionchristianchurch.com, https://fourminutefaithbuilder.com or find them on Instagram.