Held

by Charleen Burghardt

Do you think of God as impersonal or distant? Do you ever wonder if God can be in the middle of whatever you are going through? Our days may be full of busyness, tasks to complete, and loved ones who need our attention. We run from one thing to the next.

We run from one thing to the next

Meanwhile, we feel isolated in the trial or struggle we are experiencing. Where do we turn? We need to be aware of God’s presence amid our hectic and often stressful life.

The verse from Isaiah lets us know God is with us.

That’s right. Because 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.’ Isaiah 41:13 Message

Our Creator holds us in a firm grip

The image of God being close enough to hold me can be comforting and counters our fears. Speaking to myself, “Don’t panic, I’m right here to help you.” Helps me picture myself in divine hands when I feel alone, misunderstood, or overwhelmed.

Also, God is immanent, a big theological word that describes God’s nearness, knowable and perceivable. The Sovereign Lord of the universe is with us in the nitty-gritty of everyday life, never leaving or abandoning us. Regardless of our roller-coaster feelings, the Divine One still holds us and never changes.

Immanent-very present

One example of God’s closeness is in Hannah’s story, a Jewish woman in the Old Testament. She had no children, while her husband’s second wife, who bore many children, taunted her continually. Maybe Hannah felt alone and devalued in a culture that valued women who could give birth to children. Year after year, Hannah waited to have children, and she became discouraged. Every year, Hannah traveled with her husband to the place of worship in Shiloh to pray. “Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord” (Samuel 1:10 NLT). This time her weeping alarmed the priest, Eli, who thought she was drunk. After Eli learned that Hannah was not drunk but instead was pouring her heart out to the Lord, he assured her God would answer her prayer. Within a year, Hannah gave birth to Samuel.

Author Shannon Bream, in her book Women of the Bible Speak: The Wisdom of 16 Women and Their Lessons for Today, illustrates God’s immanence in Hannah’s story. As God heard Hannah’s desperate prayers, God hears our cries, even our wordless groans. Here is what Bream writes.

“One of the most comforting things about God is that He is always there awaiting our prayers, even when we can’t find the words to express our deepest grief. Sometimes, our hurts are so delicate and raw that we don’t have the strength to share that level of vulnerability with another human being. God already knows the deepest recesses of our heart, so going to Him only ushers us into the safest of all possible places we can be.”

 No matter our pain, we can express our deepest needs, knowing God listens and shelters us in his hands. Our tears matter to God.

Shelters

In addition to God holding us, being ever-present, and hearing our prayers, we can remember the promises given to us in the Bible. We can remind ourselves of who God is and what Christ has done for us through the cross. Embracing those truths enables us to make it through the day.

Embracing God’s Truth

Prayer:

Dean Strong and Mighty God,

Thank you for your faithful love that never lets us go. Give us hope, comfort, and vision that we are in your hands, held firmly in your grip. Encourage, love, and protect us. You hear our earnest prayers no matter how raw. Thank you.

Amen

In God’s unlimited grace,

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