Words of Grace

By Rev. Mahlon Nevel

God has given to us “exceeding great and precious promises” in the Bible. One of those promises is found in Isaiah 41:13. The Lord our God will hold our hand, saying to us, “Fear not; I will help you.”

A minister recalls the time when his young son was in a hospital for a very serious operation. He was to undergo surgery to save him from becoming totally blind.

The father was given special permission to be in the operating room during the surgery. When the little boy was laid on the operating table he was extremely nervous and his body was quivering uncontrollably,
“Daddy! Daddy!” the child, cried. “Will you stand beside me? Will you hold my hand?”

As the father took his hand the nervousness went away and the quivering ceased. When the child spoke again there was a noticeable difference in his voice.

“Daddy,” he said, “I am not afraid now. Then he turned to the doctor, telling him that he was ready for the operation because he was not afraid any more.

Later, the father used this story in a sermon to illustrate how God takes delight in being with His children. “We are not afraid when we feel His love-grip.”