Daily devotional, July 01, 2024 Sealing the deal
"Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations," Deuteronomy 7:9
One of the usual imagery associated with a sealed deal is a handshake. Every after an agreement or partnership contract is signed, the parties shake hands to show good faith in the undertaking.
Much can be said about the history of shaking hands, as it started way back in the ancient world when kings sealed alliances, and warriors pledged trust. But one notable thing we may call to mind as followers of Jesus is the Roman Handshake. Unlike the usual handshake that we do today, the Roman Handshake is a gesture that holds each other’s forearms to convey trust and loyalty. That even if the other lets go, the connection is still there because the other party is still holding on to the other.
We can imagine that maybe this is the kind of handshake that the Lord extends to us as soon as we accept Him as our Personal Lord and Savior. Why? Because even if we accidentally let go of our grasp when we become too weak to hold on to Him, He would still be there mightily holding on to us.
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand."
John 10:27-28
In His letter to the Romans, St. Paul the Apostle assured early Christians that nothing can separate them from the love of God. In the same way, we present-day followers of Jesus should be comforted with the fact that as soon as we surrender our lives to the Lord, we can never ever be separated from His love.
"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39
Sometimes, in our faith journey, we tend to wander away, either because of the difficulties we face, or challenges that we encounter. We could resent God for not answering our prayers. We could also fall back into sin, or feel inconvenienced about growing our faith. Through all these, our Lord will not let us go. All we have to do is repent, and come back to Him, and we will find Him still holding on to us, just waiting for us to grasp His arms once again.
"Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken."
Psalms 55:22
Whenever we feel like we want to let go of our faith in Jesus, for whatever reason we may have, we should stop for a moment and reevaluate. Will letting go benefit us in the long run? Will going back to our sinful ways provide us with enduring comfort in our times of distress? Will the peace being offered to us by the world be long-lasting or will it end as soon as we return to the “real world” and face the trials we have been avoiding? Is it worth our eternal life?
It is in the darkest times that we should continue holding on to our Lord and Savior. Jesus never promised that we will never encounter problems if we start following Him. He however promised that He will be with us, and help us endure the inevitable difficulties that we face.
"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
So while we try our best to face the challenges we have, we should strengthen ourselves in the Lord. And as we wait on Him to carry out His will in our lives, we will choose to continuously worship Him, pray even more, immerse ourselves in His words, and surround ourselves with His people.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6-7
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Romans 8:31-39 and John 10:22-30 dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Are you letting go of your grip on God’s hand?
Conversation with the Lord: Heavenly Father, thank you for not letting go of me even if there are times that I consciously or unconsciously let go of your hand. Thank you that your hands are strong enough to hold on to me, and keep me from being snatched away from your Love. Please strengthen me, so I can continue holding on to you. Amen.
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