Cling to Our Father With BOTH Hands

Do you ever feel that. . .

your mind stores a place for the negative past while the rest of it strives for forgiveness and healing

you grip tightly the hand of a child while they are reaching for freedom to grow

you hold onto a piece of your addiction with one hand and recovery with the other

you give financial freedom a try but cannot quit visiting your local fast food chain every day for lunch

your mind maintains a portion for terrible habits while the rest of it strives to start fresh?

Well, I can tell you from recent experience, that we must LET GO and fully grasp the better life.  We cannot hold onto past thoughts, addictions, habits or wrong choices and live for Christ.  Holding onto God's HAND must change to holding onto God's HANDS.  In this way, we have no way to grasp on to the old. 

Take a look at the second question above, 'Do you ever feel that you grip tightly the hand of a child while they are reaching for freedom to grow?'  If a child is ready to leave the home, gained all the knowledge needed from the parents, graduated from school; yet, the parent still holds onto the one hand tightly, how will the child ever mature and grow as intended.  The parent holds the child back.  The child will find it hard to walk the path given when being held tightly by another. 

If we hold tightly to 'things' of this world, we will find it difficult to continue the path given to us.  Addiction, money, habits, the past and wrong choices hold us back.  These assist the devil in his wicked schemes and enable him to pull us back to our old life at any time.  Don't give the devil this power.  Refuse to hold on, let go and let God.  Cling to our Father with BOTH hands.

"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."

(Matthew 6:24)

"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds;"

(Ephesians 4:22-23)

Personalize the first Scripture by filling in the blank. . . You cannot serve both God and ____.  Mine varies, depending on the season of life.  Recently, I found myself filling in the blank with Anorexia.  The first two weeks of semester bombarded me and I felt defeated.  Life seemed chaotic.  I kept praying and never let go of His hand.  BUT, I did let go of His hands.  I held on with my right hand, while my left hand grabbed a hold of Anorexia.  I did not begin restricting, but began increasing my exercise.  I found that I could control that part amongst the chaos. 

One day, in the second week of living this way, God broke me down.  He revealed to me that I allowed my old self to creep into my life.  He commanded that I let it go, give this chaos to Him and peace will follow.  This is His plan for my life and I must trust Him with all my heart.  The old self only corrupts life and places a halt on my journey to maturity.  The old self loved Anorexia and refused God (which equates to hating Him).  I did not want to go back.  The devil was not going to step into my life any further.  It stopped right there.  Tears rolled down my face as I realized what I had done/was doing.  I am not sure if the tears were out of remorse or because I realized AGAIN I am not in control.  Regardless, I knew what must be done.

I urge you today to let go of 'things' of this world.  Hold tightly to BOTH of God's hands.  Unexplainable peace will follow.

God, thank you for another day.  Thank You for protecting me, guiding me and feeding me Truth.  I cling to You, hands in hands!  Thank You for saving me from the destructive path of my past.  I love You.

Keep praying harder than the devil can work.
Sheree Craig