Thoughts for the Day

For I, the Lord your God,
hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, ‘Do not fear,
I will help you.’

I will help you, says the Lord;
your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel...

When the poor and needy seek water,
and there is none,
and their tongue is parched with thirst,
I the Lord will answer them,
I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
 I will open rivers on the bare heights,
and fountains in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
and the dry land springs of water.
I will put in the wilderness the cedar,
the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive;
I will set in the desert the cypress,
the plane and the pine together,
 so that all may see and know,
all may consider and understand,
that the hand of the Lord has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Bible)

Thoughts

"Hold my hand!" said Dad to his son, as they went to cross the circular stepping stones that crossed the river. The boy refused and nimbly ran and jumped across the stones that stood proud above the rushing water. Laughing, the boy turned to face his father who crossed much more carefully. "I told you I could do it on my own", he said, before dashing off into the woods on the other side of the stream at Cresselly in Wales.

It was some time before they returned after their walk, and unnoticed by the boy the water level had risen in the tidal stream. His offer of a hand to help him was refused again. Suddenly there was a shout of anguish as he slipped on a wet stone, ending up in the still fairly shallow water. Luckily his father was able to haul him back to safety - much shaken by the experience and extremely wet, but otherwise unharmed.

Isaiah's prophecy today is a tender reminder of God's personal care of His people, both then and now. The thought of God holding our right hand to lead us on the correct path, to support us when we might slip, or when our limbs are shaky through age or illness, is one of the most loveliest of images, It shows us God's involvement in His people's lives when we trust in Him, when we learn to lean on Him, and are not afraid. At moments of extreme need God is with us, not just looking on but in the midst of our fight, bringing us comfort and support when we are at our weakest. Unfortunately all too often we act like the little boy and end up falling in the stream, believing we can do it all alone.

Heavenly Father,
all too often in our arrogance
we think we can manage on our own
and we fail to turn to You.
Help us to remember to start with You,
involve You in the middle of the chaos,
and end with You!
May we also remember that You are there
with us in our distress.
So may we learn something about You
and about ourselves this Advent time.
Amen.