He Will Not Let You Go

"I've got you, son! Relax. I won't let you go!"

Joshua (my youngest child) loosened his grip.

"Ok, now breath in and rest. Pretend you're laying on you back against soft cushy pillows."

Joshua relaxed. His stiffened muscles loosened. His fears subsided with the knowledge I was there and that i wouldn't let him go.

Today, I felt God whisper the same assurance to me. No, not the "cushy pillows" part...the "I've got you...I won't let you go" part.

Every time I silence my thoughts, long enough to listen, God speaks. Today was no different. He always knows exactly what to say and when to say it. As I read from Matthew 6:25-34, God encouraged me. "...do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (NIV)

Wow! So often I forget to simply enjoy the moment of sunshine on my face, a hug from my child, or laugh with friends. Instead, I worry about what the future holds, what might be taken from me, or how I might fail...

How silly! I'm not sure why I try to control matters that are out of my reach. Or why I worry about what might be taken instead of practicing gratefulness for what I have. I'm not sure why I stiffen up instead of resting in the knowledge that God's got me; He won't let me go!

How about you? What steals your joy? Do you worry about failure? The what ifs? Do you worry about the future or practice thankfulness for today?

As I read the Scripture written above, The Holy Spirit highlighted "your heavenly Father knows that you need them." Wow. The simple reminder that God is my FATHER lifted my worries.

Think about that simple truth. God is our Father. He is our help in time of need. He is our provider. He is our hope. He know what we have need of. And, as our "Daddy," we can trust Him. When our strength weakens He lifts us up. He carries us. He LOVES us. We are not alone. He will NOT fail us.

Isaiah 43:2 promises, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you." (NIV)

Friend, God's got us! He's not gonna let us go! Just as I encourage Joshua to rest and trust me...God reminds us..."I'm with you! You're not alone!"

E. Stanley Jones once wrote, "Faith is not merely your holding on to God--it is God holding on to you. He will not let you go!"

So, today, let's dream big...laugh often...and remember God's got it all under control! God will NOT let us go.