GOD NEVER LETS GO

We all sometimes face tough decisions where we wrestle to find the right path. We all
know how scary it can be to face the risks or consequences of making a wrong
move.

Quite a few years ago, when I had barely begun my journey as a volunteer
missionary, I was faced with a big decision. I was fretting and fearful and ended up
struggling for days with this decision. God eventually answered by giving me a simple
illustration.

It was a picture of a little girl who was holding her father’s hand as they walked. All
the while, this girl was fearfully begging her father to hold on to her and not let go!
“Daddy, please don’t let go of my hand!” On and on she went, until finally her father
stopped, knelt down, and looked straight into her eyes. With a firm but loving voice,
he told her that he would never let go of her, that as long as she wanted to stay close
to him, he would always lead her and walk beside her.

I got the point and made my decision. Since then, I have encountered many times
when I struggled with fear of the outcome, of making a mistake, or of going astray.
But whenever I’m faced with an important decision, this illustration always comes
back to me. It has comforted me a number of times over the years. As much as we
desire to make the best decisions we can, we all find ourselves looking back to those
times when we obviously didn’t. But even then, we can be encouraged by Jesus’
promise that He will never leave us or forsake us.

I think we sometimes have a false idea of what being on the right track or in God’s will
is. Life is naturally full of wrong turns and missteps, and sometimes we zig when we
should zag, but we can always return to His side and find our way again.

On the lonely and rugged mountain trails, He is our companion. On the trek through
the desert, when we thirst and feel the dryness of life and wonder when (and if) we’ll
find the oasis, He is bringing us closer with each step. When we push through the
crowds and confusion of day-to-day life and struggle against endless questions,
weariness, and discouragement, He walks beside us and tells us, “I’m here. Talk to
Me. Tell Me all about it.”

Sometimes the more dangerous territory for us can actually be when things seem to
be going just fine and we have found our stride. When things are looking up, we tend
to not have that same desperation for His presence.

And say we do fall, we blow it, and mess up—like so many of His followers that have
slipped, tripped, and fallen on their way through life’s journey. Does He ever give up
on us?

Of course not. The thought would never even cross His loving and forgiving mind.
Then why do we worry and fret? No matter what decisions I’ve faced or how daunting
they might have seemed, I can sincerely say that I have never regretted holding on to
His hand!