Eyes Fixed

Several years ago, I read something in Scripture that stopped me dead in my tracks. There are a few verses like Isaiah 41:10 that talk about God holding us up with His righteous right hand. There are also a few verses that talk about God holding us up by our right hand. For example a few verses later, Isaiah 41:13 says, For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you Do not fear; I will help you. Now, I am not a genius by any stretch but this caught my attention because I kept trying to think about it logistically. How can God hold me by my right hand with His right hand without that getting significantly uncomfortable?

Then I remembered a few other verses that talk about Jesus sitting at the right hand of God. One in particular was Hebrews 10:12 that says, But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.

Work with me here.

If God is sitting on the throne and Jesus is sitting on His right side, the only way He can hold me up by His right hand with my right hand is if I am facing Him. Let that sink in for a moment.

I, and probably we, tend to get so caught up in knowing what God's plans are, exactly what we are supposed to do, and where we are supposed to end up, that we forget that we are to walk by faith, not by sight, keeping our eyes firmly fixed on the author and perfecter of our faith. He needs to know where we are going, we don't.

One of my memory verses a few weeks ago was Ezekiel 37:14 which says, I will put my Spirit in you and you will live and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken and I have done it, declares the Lord. What I am wondering is if we can trust God enough to lead us to the destination He has given us as our inheritance without knowing where it is and how long it will take to get there? Are we willing to believe Him when He says that His plans are for our good, that His grace will be enough, and that our hope will not disappoint?

In a world where everything has to have a label, a five year plan, and actionable steps, it's difficult to do something that is counterintuitive and countercultural. But as we are called to be holy as He is holy, it reminds us that we are set apart and meant to look, sound, and act different. In God's economy we lose our lives to gain them and count worldly gain as loss. 

My hope is that we can take this truth about the way we are held and begin a journey with God, that is directed by God, with our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus. Because if we do, we can be certain that we will be exactly where He wants us, filled with His peace, and His purpose for our lives fulfilled.

Jesus, help us to be brave. Build in us the courage we need to walk by faith and not sight. Help us to trust that as we walk with You we are never in darkness. Hold us by our right hands, strengthen and protect us, and lead us where you plan for us to go. Amen.