Jesus welcomed the people, taught them about the Kingdom of God and healed those in need. Luke 9:11

Seeds of the Kingdom

Take My Hand

by Jim Person

For I hold you by your right hand - I, the LORD your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.
Isaiah 41:13, NLT

One autumn day, as I was walking with my family through the woods, my middle daughter reached out for my hand to take it in hers. She glanced toward me as I grasped her hand in mine, and in that moment our eyes locked. It was a look of trust, as she was relying on my strength to stabilise her walking along that path.

Wishing this moment could last a lifetime, I was concerned I might be squeezing her hand too tightly. I really miss the times of holding the hands of my children. Those moments were sweet to me as a father while they lasted.

But soon the need to hold a father’s hand passes. The threat of the moment is gone. Maybe the path widens enough so that children feel secure enough to let go and walk on their own for a while. Or maybe they see something that draws their attention away.

I loved those times of spontaneous hand holding which weren’t orchestrated by me as a command to “come here and hold my hand” on a hurried walk through a crowded street crossing.

God, in His grace, leans down and takes hold of the hand offered up to Him in times of need. It’s a comfort to hold the hand of the Father during a difficult time. It’s like a child being led through a scary street at night, or a crowded sidewalk where so many strangers are crowding into a small space. We feel comfort as we hold on to the strong capable hand of our Father. It’s as if strength flows through His hand right into our spirit.

How often do we struggle to work through some difficulty on our own? God is reaching out His hand toward us today. Will we take His hand in ours and let His strength flow into our spirit? When we’re afraid, He is there extending His hand towards us, telling us, “I am here. You don’t have to be afraid.”

Jim Person Jim grew up in Alaska and from a small child commercial fished every summer with his family. God called him, his wife Tanya, and their four children to move to Hungary as missionaries in 2003. God then led him to join Ellel Ministries in 2005. After serving in various positions with Ellel in Central and Eastern Europe, God led them back to the United States, where he is now serving with the Ellel USA team. Jim and Tanya have a passion to see leaders restored, the church discipled and walking in God’s fullness of life and freedom. They also love mentoring the existing and developing Ellel teams wherever God leads them. Jim also has a real gift for working with the land to create a beautiful and welcoming environment.

 

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