Holding the hand of Jesus has a least three immediate benefits: 1) I can never stray far away. I may step into something along the way or stumble over a rough spot on the path, but I can not walk into a death trap on a divergent trail. 2) When, not if, I stumble, He keeps me from falling and is is able to pull me to prevent me from stepping into any smelly filth. 3) When the darkness of night, the fog, or even the blinding glare of the full sun and sweat in my eyes prevent me from seeing or seeing clearly, I am comforted by His hand in mine as a reminder that I am not alone and do not need to worry about safety or directions. Consequently, with these there immediate benefits, I do not need to consider the possibility of taking a shortcut to reach the vision, desires, and hopes that the Lord has laid on my heart.
With no need for shortcuts, I do not ignore problems or deny real difficulties, but rather simply choose NOT to worry since worry is a CHOICE. Trust in Jesus is always the appropriate response. My worrying changes absolutely nothing! My praying changes everything, beginning with me. So, thank you Jesus in advance for what you bring into my life today. This is Your path for me at THIS time. Trying to take a shortcut to avoid any pain would mean missing a valuable lesson. As I get a good grip on Your hand, I also get a grip on life.
