Leaning

The Lord spoke to me, like a firm grasp of the hand
Isaiah 8:11

Blessed be the Lord our God, who does- if we speak the honest truth- cause His word to come to us in just this way: like a strong hand reaching out for us to take hold of firmly, and to take hold of us.

Sometimes this firm grasp comes as He opens our understanding this single word. His hand has grasped me, in recent days, as my understanding opens up to the word to the single word trust.

Trust, I have learned, means: to lean on, to place the weight of my confidence upon (Young's Analytical Concordance)... and after this discovery, I've found many verses in the Psalms that provide great comfort when translated in this way. For instance, "I have trusted in [leaned on, placed confidence in] your lovingkindness"

So I may say: That lovingkindness which has loved me with an an everlasting love, which forgives and cleanses and will never tire of me- that lovingkindness, Lord, I lean on.

We know that this is not objectionable to the Lord, that He in fact welcomes it. As David sang: "The Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who [leans on] Him.

Doesn't this tell us something about the love of God- and isn't it just like Him to let us know that He wants us to lean on, not only on His lovingkindness, but on His very self?
...The Lord is my strength and my shield: my heart leans on Him and I am helped. Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song will I praise Him.

May the Lord of love make this word of His to be "like a firm grasp of the hand" to you today.

-Amy Carmichael

2 comments:

Rachel S. said...

Thank you, Joanna, for posting this piece by Amy Carmichael. I love her writings. Where did you find this one? Was it in one of her books?
What a special topic to write on. How greatful I am that I can 'lean of the everlasting arms of my Father'.

Psalm 29:2 said...

It's from a collection of her writings that was put into devotional form- "I Come Quietly To Meet You."