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Psalm 31:1,3b,4b,14,15a – In You, O Lord, I put my trust; let me never be ashamed; deliver me in Your righteousness. Lead me and guide me, for you are my strength. I trust in You O Lord; my times are in Your hand. (NKJV)
Some time ago, our oldest daughter, her husband, and their five-year-old granddaughter visited us for a few days. They live far away, and we had not see our great-granddaughter since she was a baby, and they had not yet seen our new house. One afternoon, the little girl and I walked to the area mailbox at the end of our street. We walked along, and I held her hand. She looked for puddles on the street and splashed in them when I let her, but she did hang onto my hand — she trusted me.
That reminded me of occasions when it is so important and comforting to hold hands with someone. I remember the first time I reached out to hold a girl's hand at a church picnic in 1951, and the surprise when she did not pull hers away. We still hold hands at times — same girl!
I also remember the thrill so many years ago when I held the hand of the one who is now the grandmother, as we went for a walk — those tentative steps when she first learned to walk, hanging tightly onto my hand. She has three grandchildren now.
But people also hold hands in a compassionate way. When I go to the hospital or the Long Term Care Centre to visit someone, I will hold their hand quite often, to comfort them.
There are times when we just don't know how to carry on. Sometimes, we are too weak to reach out our hand. Sometimes, we are paralyzed by fear or anxiety. Sometimes, our lives are threatened by illness. Sometimes, we are shattered by death. Sometimes, we walk through deep spiritual valleys. And then, we hear those wonderful words of Scripture:
Isaiah 41:10 – Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (NKJV)
There are so many times when we need to hold God's hand in a symbolic, spiritual way, so many times when we just can't carry on on our own, times when we need to ask the Lord to hold our hand.
The hymn by Thomas A. Dorsey (1899-1993) says it so well:
- Precious Lord, take my hand,
Lead me on, let me stand,
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn;
Through the storm, through the night,
Lead me on to the light:
Take my hand, precious Lord,
Lead me home.
Prayer: Our Father in heaven, as we walk this road of life, we are quite often alone and worried, discouraged and perplexed, and when we are, we know that we can come to You in prayer and ask for Your guidance and help. Then we know that we can walk with You hand in hand. We thank You for this assurance, in Jesus' name. Amen.
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Sunday, December 3, 2023 – IIn the Middle East — We have been walking with a brother, R, from a closed country, who has recently returned with his wife, H. and their older children. We had never met his wife before, but she had shown interest in faith as her husband often shares with her his new beliefs. Praise the Lord, my wife led H to Christ upon her arrival. Please pray for her growth and for them as a couple, that they will have the courage and wisdom to share with their children.
Prayer: "Update December 03, 2023: Please continue to pray for her to put her trust in the Lord and to live..." 
Thanks Joel.
Thank you for today’s. I really enjoy your devotions.
Thanks so much Joel for sharing this wonderful and comforting reminder.
How truly refreshing Joel.
(USA)
Thank you for the reminder. It was especially needed today as my mother is going for an angiogram.
Joel – Precious Lord take my Hand is a long time favorite of mind. Thanks for sharing your message of love and caring as demonstrated by our dear Lord.
Today’s devotional — of course we are old like you must be to be a great grandparent as we are. Ours are 2 hours from us and we do not see them often. Keep up the writing.
Thank you, Joel, for showing us the comfort of walking hand in hand with God. And thank you for the hymn. I was glad to find it in one of my hymnals. A moving hymn to a striking melody.
Dear Joel,
Thank you so much for putting our faith, so beautifully, into words. I am sending this on to many friends who, like me, are getting older and feel alone sometimes. Blessings.
Joel this has so much meaning for me since Paul passed. I so miss how we walked down the street holding hands, such a feeling never leaves me. The sense of security and love I will cherish forever! Praise God for holding our hands as we begin to go on in life without our loved ones! Thank you so much, always enjoy your articles.
Joel: Your Devotional is so appropriate for me and descriptive of the wife I am taking of. I am an 80+ primary caregiver for my wife, she has Alz dementia. I have realized how often now she depends on me by reaching out her hand for assurance, I guess. And I? Well I, in turn, must reach out my had to Him. Thanks for your thought, Joel.
Dear Joel,
God has used this verse from Isaiah to speak to me in the past and so I have been reminded today of His faithfulness during stressful times. I know that He is faithful, but sometimes an extra touch is a great salve.
Thanks.
Dear Joel,
Precious from beginning to end is this devotional. It is timeless as is our God; and He makes us to be forever with Him!
Amen.
Thanks.
Keep writing.
Thank you, Joel, for your comforting Devotional.
My dear wife Eva is over 80 years old and physically-handicapped. I’m s little younger and healthier who leads a healthy lifestyle…so, I take care of her fulltime in our house 24/7. I look after all her needs. It is a very challenging & demanding job. I have to do all the housekeeping duties besides doing heavy yard work on our country property. Sometimes, the heavy workload each & every day gets to be too much and I get dejected and depressed.
Thus, your devotional was very comforting for me, especially that immortal hymn.
My sincere thanks for this devotional. I need the encouragement it offers. I have been praying and thinking of Our Father so much today. Depression and family problems.
Blessings and many thanks.
Good points. Thanks.
Beautiful Joel, Thank you. What a unique Blessing to be here and able to enjoy not just grandchildren…but GREAT grandchildren!!
Dear Joel,
What a wonderful devotional yours has been! You have competently taken us through the lives of four generations of your family and that, in itself, is a rare gift to behold! Though a grandfather, myself, now, it does not occur to me that I will be able to hold the hand of a great-grand child, unless our God chooses to bless me with a life in my mid eighties and the alertness to then write a coherent story! My our Lord continue to bless your life so you can be a witness to His bountiful blessings! Allen O Via Vita Veritas!