Maneuvers - No. 72
Grab Hold
of Me
Have you ever felt so hurt, so tired, so fed up with challenges that you were tempted to doubt God’s love for you, faithful one? Or tempted to give up, to go numb and withdraw into yourself?
This world has a way of pressing on our wounds over and over until it hurts so much that we can hardly think straight.
In those moments, we have to choose—will we trust the pain or the tiredness we feel or will we trust God? Will we work to appease others or surrender to what we know God is calling us to do in this season? Will we strive after what the world thinks is important or what God tells us is important?
It’s a simple choice but, to be honest, rarely an easy one.
And if that’s the choice you’ve been wrestling with, friend, then this week’s message is for you. In it, Holy Spirit is reminding us of some very important truths—of his kindness and wisdom, the care he put into forming us and calling us, the unshakable nature of his love.
As we read, let’s open our hearts and allow ourselves to be vulnerable and soft as the Lord describes just how deeply he loves us.
Because he does—our Jesus loves us. And that’s something this world—or our sickness or emotional wounds or financial trials—can never take away from us.
So come… let’s listen together.
01.
The Message
“I have carved you out of the clay. Out of the dust you came. I kissed you with my breath. I dreamed of you and wanted you. You are what I imagined. You are here, my beloved, my own. I want you to stay with me.
“I am not playing games with you. I am not pretending to love you. I am not being coy. How the world has hurt you is not my plan for you. How you feel fear, how you feel pain–each struggle is a challenge. But grab hold of me. Grab hold.
“I am for you. My strength is yours. I am for you.
“I am for you. My wisdom is your guide. I am for you.
“Do not believe you are alone. I would not create you and leave you Fatherless, Friendless, Counselorless. I give you all of me. I give you everything you need.
“So hold on. My love sets you free from worry. Hold on. My love sets you free from doubt. Be fearless in loving me. Like I’ve taught you. Like I teach you again: Fearless in love. Fearless in faith. Fearless in vulnerability. Fearless in trust for my sake.
“Trust in yourself—or trust in me. Trust in the world—or trust in me. Trust in money—or trust in me. Trust in what you can touch, what you can hold, what you can feel—or trust in me.
“I am the faithful. I am the strength. I am the beginning. I am the end. Let my feet guide you. Let my words ground you. Let my heart strengthen you. Let my breath refresh you. Let my beauty inspire you. Let my joy equip you. Let my love empower you. I am yours. I am everything good. I am your Father and King and Shepherd and Friend. I hold you up now. Surrender, all of yourself now, into me.”
02.
Listen
Let’s take a moment to respond to what we just read. What is the Lord highlighting to you in today’s message? What specific truths stood out to you the most as you read? Let’s pull out our journals and write down a prayer in response to those truths.
03.
Think
“So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter” (2 Thessalonians 2:15, NIV).
1. In what areas of your life do you feel alone? Where do you need God to reveal himself to you as your Father, Friend, or Counselor?
2. Where do you tend to trust in yourself or in the world instead of in Jesus?
3. What challenges does God want to meet you in? Where does he want to be your joy, your strength, and your source of love right now?
04.
Trust
Let’s return to this week’s message:
“I am not playing games with you. I am not pretending to love you. I am not being coy. How the world has hurt you is not my plan for you. How you feel fear, how you feel pain–each struggle is a challenge. But grab hold of me. Grab hold.”
When we go through difficult trials, it’s easy to think God has forgotten about us. We might wonder, If God really loves me, why would he let me go through this? Has he left me? Does he even care?
We may know the truth—that our Father loves us and sees our pain and has a plan through it—but in those moments of intense suffering or confusion, it’s much harder to believe the truth.
That’s why God tells us so many times in his Word to “grab hold.”
When David was in the Desert of Judah (perhaps fleeing for his life from King Saul or hiding during his son Absalom’s murderous rebellion), he wrote this to the Lord: “I cling to you; your right hand upholds me” (Psalm 63:8, NIV, emphasis added).
Another psalmist wrote, “I hold fast to your statutes, Lord; do not let me be put to shame” (Psalm 119:31, NIV, emphasis added).
And in Romans 12:9, Paul offered this command: “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good” (ESV, emphasis added).
Sometimes, when the world is pushing hard against us and testing our faith, the only thing we can do is grab hold of Jesus. Even if we’re struggling to believe the truth. Even if we feel as though one more trial will break us. We hold on tight.
So right now, let’s close our eyes and breathe in deeply. As we pause here and simply breathe, let’s think about the specific trials or temptations we’re facing right now. What hard things are pulling us away from Jesus? Or leading us to doubt his love and goodness? Let’s write those things down.
Now, let’s look at our list and invite Holy Spirit to show us what truths we need to grab hold of tightly in this season. We don’t have to rush here… we can simply sit with Jesus… listening… breathing… focusing on him.
In this time of quiet reflection, Holy Spirit may bring specific Scripture passages to mind. Or he may remind us of a biblical principle or of a past miracle or breakthrough he did in our lives. Whatever we hear from him, let’s write it down.
Now let’s take that page of truths and put it in a place where we can look at it every day—maybe our Bibles, on our work desks, or taped to the bathroom mirror. The goal is simply to read these truths every day and hold onto them tightly.
Let’s pray.
05.
Pray
Father, I struggle sometimes to believe what’s true. I may know it in my mind, but believing it can be so hard when I’m in pain. Teach me to grab hold of you and your Word. To not let go even when the world is pulling on me.
Please help me surrender and accept your love. You invite me to trust you—and I want to. But I need your help. Be my strength, my joy, and my wisdom. Lead me forward as I follow you.
I love you, Lord. I trust you. I will hold onto you—by faith, not by sight.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Waving the banner with you,
