Taken from chapter 2 of In God´s Right Hand: Whom Shall I Fear?
I have always clung to God’s promises in Joshua 1:5 that he will never leave us nor forsake us; his call to be strong and courageous and not be afraid in verses 6, 7, and 9; and his promise to always be with us at the end of verse 9. Did you recognize the similar language of promise and accompaniment in Isaiah 41:10? They are parallel passages. However, Isaiah adds a unique detail—these promises come at God’s right hand.
I began to glimpse the picture of embrace that God paints of his right hand in verses 10 and 13, but had never fully grasped its beauty and powerful comfort until a moment when I truly needed it.
It was a broken time in my life. And that is an understatement. My fiancé had suddenly and unexpectedly ended our relationship two-and-a-half months before the wedding. I was in shock and depressed—so depressed that I was scaring my friends and family. I began having social anxiety, including a few panic attacks. I was overwhelmed by a myriad of emotions and reactions that were totally foreign to me.
At a loss of what to do, a friend invited me to spend a few days at her house in Atlanta (I was living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at the time). We would then drive to the South Baton Rouge Church of Christ ladies’ retreat on the Alabama coast, and I would return with friends to Baton Rouge after the retreat.
Numb and unable to make my own decisions, I agreed. Fast forward to three weeks after the breakup, at the ladies retreat I would’ve preferred to skip. In an effort to avoid conversation and looks of pity from the other women present, I evaded eye contact altogether and buried my face in my Bible. I found myself reading and meditating on Isaiah 41.
I noticed the promise in verse 10 that God “will uphold you in [his] righteous right hand.” Then, in verse 13, I read that God takes hold of “your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” His right hand with your right hand. Both people have to be facing each other to engage their right hands.
What a realization: God, facing me, seeing my pain, taking my hand and holding me in his embrace. Wow. The God of all comfort bathed me with comfort in his loving presence at that moment, meeting me where I was and leading me toward healing.
Before we continue, I invite you to take a moment and taste that promise...
For me, it was life changing. The moment on that Saturday afternoon in September when I felt God’s right hand of protection and comfort is forever etched in my brain and my heart. It was a pivotal moment in which God saw me, broken and naked before him, and that was okay. He welcomed me into his arms, and I think it was the first time I truly took a cleansing breath since the wind had been knocked out of me three weeks before.
Over the next few weeks, months, and years, I continued to cling to the memory and the promise of the security I had found in God’s right hand. My fears did not immediately go away, but I was reminded that I could trust the One who is faithful—the One who had extended his right hand to save me and would do so time and time again.
I feared future attacks when I was overcome by doubt and frustration, but I trusted in the One who protects, and I depended on the promise that he holds me in his right hand. I rested, comforted in that promise, and allowed myself to just spend some time hanging out in God’s right hand—secure and at peace.
My place in God’s right hand did not change my circumstances, but it reminded me that I can always trust in the God who is bigger than any circumstance! Furthermore, his right hand is big enough to hold you, too!
Suffering invites us to place our hurts in larger hands. In Christ we see God suffering—for us. And calling us to share in God’s suffering love for a hurting world. The small and even overpowering pains of our lives are intimately connected with the greater pains of Christ. Our daily sorrows are anchored in a greater sorrow and therefore a larger hope. ― Henri J.M. Nouwen
I placed my burdens, my pain, and my sorrow in God’s capable hands. God’s right hand carried me through counseling, along with the support of friends and family. God’s right hand led me to take one step at a time and share my struggles and the comfort I had received with others so that none of us would feel alone (2 Cor. 1:3-7). God’s right hand led me to launch Iron Rose Sister Ministries and share words of hope and promise in English and Spanish to women across the Americas.
“By his wounds, we are healed” (Isa. 53:5). The generous gift of salvation was at the expense of his pierced right hand for those who die with him to be raised in newness of life (Rom. 6:1-6).