Join Hands Day // Psalm 73:23

It is National Join Hands Day…a day when we are called to bring together the different generations to remind us that the more things change, the more they stay the same. We tend to think we are the only people to ever deal with the struggles of this life. Yes, there are unique challenges, but our human nature is consistent.

Psalm 73:23 says, “But I am always with you; you have held my hand” (NCV). This is a Psalm of Asaph and the writer deals with a profound truism of human nature: we aren’t always agreeable. I love the preceding verses that say, “When my heart was sad and I was angry, I was senseless and stupid. I acted like an animal toward you” (Psalm 73:21-22, NCV). Be honest, have you ever been sad or angry? Have you ever been senseless and stupid? Have you ever acted like an animal to someone else, and/or God in particular? I know I have on all counts. Still, what we read from Asaph, is the need to stay with God knowing God doesn’t leave us.

We need to join hands with God and each other for the purpose of pointing people to Jesus. Sometimes we are sad, angry, senseless, and stupid…sometimes we act like animals anywhere from sloths to snakes…but let’s not abandon the Lord who promised never to abandon us. Yes, there will be times when we will disagree because people are always prone to being disagreeable. As I write this, though, I cannot help but think of the great John Wesley line, “Is your heart true to my heart? If it is, give me your hand.” May we commit to joining hands with God and others for the sake of making His love for us known. Even, and especially, when we are sad, angry, senseless, stupid, and acting like animals. Right? Right on.