Hold On To The Hand Of God
“I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. Nevertheless, I am continually with You; You hold me and my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory” (Psa. 73:22-24).
Asaph was so angry he couldn’t see straight! He felt that he had been given a bad deal. Evil people were flourishing, but here he had followed God and was struggling. It wasn’t fair! He lashed out at God and sulked in self-pity. He doesn’t tell us exactly what he said to God, but we can be sure that it wasn’t pretty because he described himself as “a beast.”
This passage reveals Asaph at his worst. Yet, God is at His best. Asaph ranted and raved at God, but God continued to be loving, patient, and kind toward him. In fact, God keeps holding his hand like a loving mother -- firmly and patiently holding the hand of a toddler during a tantrum.
God gave Asaph assurance that He would lead him down the right path, and at the end of time, or the end of his life, God would gladly receive him in love.
When we are at our worst, we often imagine that God is fiercely resentful or that He turns His back on us in disgust. We may have experienced those responses from our parents, siblings, spouses or others, but
God’s response is completely different. Even when we are as “a beast,” He stays near, patiently loving us, reassuring us, and holding our hands. What a statement of grace!
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