When my boys were young, God gave me Psalm 91. I love that God promises that He will save us from the fowler’s snare, be our refuge and that we do not have to fear. But I couldn’t let go of them and give them to the One Who could fulfill those promises. I didn’t trust God enough to give them to Him. I was hanging on to them instead of holding on to God.
Luke 2:22-24 (NIV) “When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord’), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: ‘a pair of doves or two young pigeons.’”
Mary and Joseph gave Jesus to His Father, consecrated His earthly life to the work God prepared for Him. As parents, it was their duty.
As a mom, it took me years and years to fully let go…to move myself out of God’s way so that they could live life to the full. There came a time in both of their lives that I could do nothing else. Hanging on to them was not holding on to God.
I still hang on once in a while…but I find holding on to God is far better for He is the One they need. When I hold on to God for my boys (and so many others I pray for), my focus changes. And, it isn’t supposed to be about ME, it’s about their relationship with God.
So, now when I look at Psalm 91, I see God in a different light.
HE is the One I trust
HE is my shield
HE is my refuge and I “dwell in the shadow of the Almighty” God
And, He promises me for my boys (how faithful our God is!)…
“‘Because he loves me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.’” Psalm 91:14-16 (NIV)
~ Take it to heart ~
It is so much better to hold on to God
than to hang on to our children (insert here anything you hang on to
instead of holding on to God for the outcome)
Remember God’s promises of shelter, shield, and protection.