Learning to Walk Hand in Hand with God

She’s always been one to hold my hand. This youngest little girl of mine happily slips her hand into mine when we’re out shopping together or running errands.

Her older siblings weren’t always so willing. Some of them let me take their hand as we crossed a busy parking lot, but tugged to let go once we hit the sidewalk. Sometimes they’d hold my hand but pulled to go a different direction. Or resisted altogether, wriggling to get free as I clamped down even more firmly.

But not my youngest.

Though she’s now past the age where she needs to hold my hand, she still reaches for it. It’s a place of warm security and a sweet expression of love as her hand rests in mine.

I’ve often been like my older kids–tugging against God’s hand rather than resting in it. I’ve struggled to trust God’s hand, to trust that His direction is best.

I’ve struggled to trust that His direction is best.

But God has been teaching me to rest in my faith. To trust His timing, His interruptions and every circumstance He takes me through. After seeing God’s faithfulness over and over and over, I’m finally learning to rest in His good hand.

One morning recently, we awoke to find a granddaddy oak had crushed my son’s car. As a single mom, it felt like one more burden on a long list.

I needed to get the tree cut and removed, salvage the car and start shopping for another. My son and I would have to share my minivan. This will just be temporary, I thought as we juggled schedules.

[bctt tweet=”Lord, let me take you by the hand instead of trying to do it by myself. #livingfreetogether https://wp.me/p4jbdw-42X” username=”suzanneeller”]

But as we haven’t yet found a good, used car, weeks have turned into months of inconvenience and missing out for both of us.

In the past, I would have worried about the unexpected expense and finding another car. I would have chaffed over the inconvenience of sharing my van.

But God has allowed this circumstance. While I have work to do in it, the burden is God’s and I find myself resting in faith.

Trusting God means we can rest in faith rather than fret in fear.

This weekend, I was reminded again of God’s call for us to rest in faith.

After Jesus was crucified, Joseph of Arimathea took his body from the cross, laid it in his tomb and rolled the heavy stone across the entrance. Then we read this:

“And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.” Luke 23:55-56

Don’t you love God’s impeccable timing? Jesus had died and these women could do nothing. At a critical point of their faith, God ushered in His Sabbath. They had to rest.

And as they rested, God worked mightily.

As they rested, God was fulfilling His promise of salvation and eternal life in perfect faithfulness.

Only when we really believe that God keeps His promises can we rest in faith, no matter what circumstance He brings us to.

And resting in faith lets us see the good while we wait – the slower pace of days at home without a car; neighbors who rallied to chainsaw and remove our tree; afternoon walks to the neighborhood store for vegetables and sodas.

Sweet friend, we will never outgrow our need to put our hand firmly into God’s. It’s a place of warm security. He keeps His promises and we can rest in Him as we trust in Him.

*This post first appeared at my friend Suzie Eller’s site. Suzie is a writer, bestselling author, international speaker and Bible teacher. She’s a friend and mentor with a huge heart to lead women deeply in God’s Word.