Finding help is often difficult. Many people walk alone with problems that are facing them. No one can be found to help them deal with bad situations in their life. Isaiah quotes God in saying that He is taking hold of their hands and helping them. God tells Israel to not fear, despite what is going on. Fear is a common factor among most people. Fear of about anything negative rises in the hearts of people.
People are searching for answers to the problems in life. They want to know how they can make it through the difficulties. Often, they are searching for people or false gods to get their help. Help is on the way. Those who have chosen to follow God’s son born in a manger, have God to be their helper. He is right there taking a hold of their hand and telling them not to fear and that He is helping them.
God seems to ask us not to fear in a lot of places in the scriptures. I think it is like asking us about our faith, but also wrapped up in the spirit. We read in the New Testament that “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear:” (1 John 4:18). It seems pretty clear that when we are in tune with God, and feeling his spirit, we won’t be afraid… likely of anything.
On Holding God’s Hand
I do not think that any of us are there yet, or at least not consistently, so how do we pull that confidence and trust that God inspires in us into our daily lives more fully? And I think part of it is exactly what this verse says… holding God’s hand. For me, that brings up memories of having to hold someone’s hand to cross a street or getting help to stand back up again. And God does those things for us, protecting us from danger and assisting us as we do pretty much anything, but to get there, we must welcome God into our lives. We must reach out to him in this season of Advent and not run away and hide. We must be willing to share the journey like John the Baptist in the desert rather than going into hermit mode.
God is powerful and the idea of him can appear intimidating, but he does not want us, his children, to be afraid of him, or anything else. Today, let us be willing to hold his hand and get his help in facing the challenges of life with confidence and faith so that we can point at him and tell others, ‘Ecce Agnus Dei – Behold the Lamb of God!’
