Day One

Will You Take My Hand?

Scripture: Psalm 1; 1 John 3:1

The call of God stirs inside each of us: we desire a deeper connection with him and long to fulfill his plans for our lives. Yet buried deep within us, human ambition and God’s grace wrestle with each other on a daily basis, vying for our allegiance.

You need to do better, try harder to please God, ambition says. Success is just around the corner. 

This inner drive pushes me to succeed by my wits in relationships, career, and faith. And I try. But as with the furious flapping of a moth drawn to a flame, my wings are only singed the closer I get. 

On the other hand, God’s grace offers the challenge to set my sights higher. 

You are already loved, it whispers. Stop trying to earn it. I already know the best plan for you. Just say yes to me. I lean in close to listen, shutting out the familiar clamor of self-doubt and slowly tuning my soul toward the frequency of truth. Your Father in heaven adores you—live from that place and be free! 

I breathe easier, knowing there is freedom, and strength, in this place. But it’s not my norm. It doesn’t come easily. It’s a struggle, right? We have to learn how to be loved by God. 

As we yield to Christ’s plan, he releases a life of incredible purpose, bigger than anything we could dream up on our own. We realize that he plants our dreams as seeds within us, but they represent only a small part of what he has planned.

Spiritual disciplines help us nurture that seed—just as a gardener invests water, light, fertilizer, and pruning into the growth process of a potential plant—until the fruit fills our lives and spills over into the world around us. 

If we attempt to fulfill God’s plan without first receiving his love, we become a dancer auditioning for a part, hoping for approval, rather than knowing that we’ve already been chosen to take the stage with him. Grace whispers, You are loved . . . come with me now. I’m ready. Will you take my hand? 

Lord, I want to live from a deep knowledge of your love for me. I want to take your hand and dance where you lead me! Amen.