Author: Woodrow Kroll
Source: Lessons on Living from Isaiah
Scripture: Isaiah 45:1
Held by His Hand
Isaiah 45:1
Thus says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held—to subdue nations before him and loose the armor of kings, to open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut.
Held by His Hand
A pastor once shared that when his son was small, they often walked together through the fields and neighboring pasture behind the parsonage. At first the little fellow would hold onto his father's finger, but he found that when he stepped into a hoof print or stumbled over something, his grip would fail and he'd fall to the ground. This happened quite frequently until one day he looked up at his father and said, "Daddy, I think if you would hold my hand, I wouldn't fall." The pastor reflected, "You know, he was right. He still stumbled many times after that, but he never hit the ground."
Cyrus the Great, the one whom God would use to return His people from Babylon, had the same experience. As a leader he would face many challenges. It was first necessary that he weld two peoples, the Medes and the Persians, into a united kingdom. Accomplishing that, he then set out on a path of conquest that ultimately brought him to Babylon, the city thought to be impregnable. Ingeniously, the river Euphrates was diverted and Cyrus' army slipped into the city through the dried-up river bed and conquered it. Through it all, although Cyrus didn't know it, God held his hand.
The future is sure to contain trials and difficulties for you. Maybe you've already encountered some of them. If you try to hold on to God's hand, the likelihood is great that you will slip and stumble. The better solution is to let God hold your hand. Instead of striving and straining, let go and let God hold onto you. Surrender yourself to God and trust Him to keep you secure.
Let Him who holds everything else hold your hand as well.
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