--THE LORD TAKES OUR HAND~~

--"Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand." --[PSALM 37:24]

~~As an Amish boy of about eight or nine, I sometimes went on errands to the neighbors or to the nearby town. I usually walked, and for the better part I enjoyed it. An elderly lady once warned me, "Don't ever ever accept a ride from a stranger; it's not safe!" Although that put fear in my heart, I wasn't extremely concerned, because I had never been offered a ride with a stranger in a car.

Then one summer afternoon I was walking home and still had several miles to go when a car approached from behind. It slowed down and a voice called out, "Come around to the other side, and I'll take you home." I froze, speechless, because I was looking at a stranger. He obviously noticed my fright because he kindly said in Pennsylvania Dutch, "Ess iss okay; ich nemm dich hame." (It's okay; I'll take you home.) Greatly comforted, I accepted the ride home, but I'll probably never know who the man was.

The world is less safe nowadays, yet the comforting words of God still give us hope and courage. Today's Bible reading indicates that He wants to direct our steps and to delight in our way (verse 23). God wants to comfort us when we fall so that we are not utterly discouraged. He will take our hand and uphold us (verse 24), which is a great comfort in fearful circumstances. This should inspire us to give a hand to others when they need it.

As we recall former times when God delivered us, we build a strong trust in His faithfulness. He has promised to preserve us forever. He has promised that the end of the upright man is peace. May our trust become ever deeper as we grow older and wiser in Him, our Rock and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. ~~

'To overcome fear of the unknown, we need to trust in the God we know.' ~~

--BSW/JB~
--"Only You"// (lyric video// Phillips, Craig, and Dean) <https://youtu.be/tZHg0U3qjoI>
~~~~~~~~