George and I recently took a couple of different day trips to Shenandoah National Park. We stopped at every overlook, took lots of pictures, picnicked, and even explored some of the side trails.
We saw a caterpillar at one of the overlooks. I couldn’t stop thinking about all those little legs clinging to the stem. I knew there was a lesson there.
Sure enough! Look at the verse the LORD pointed out to me.
“Serve only the Lord your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him.” Deuteronomy 13:4 (NLT)
What does it even mean to cling to something? According to dictionary.com, the word cling means “to hold tight, as by grasping or embracing; cleave:”
So is it even possible for us to cling to more than one thing at a time? I’m beginning to think the answer is, “No!”
That presses me to ask myself, “What am I clinging to right now?“
A concern? A pain? An offense? My own way? Someone? Something else?
A couple of my favorite verses are:
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (TLB).
These verses tell us to trust the LORD with everything. Hmmm…trusting Him makes it possible to let go of everything we’re holding onto. Letting go frees us to cling to Him.
Wait! These verses also tell us we will experience God’s peace when we trust Him with everything! I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to start practicing my clinging to the LORD skills. You with me?
How about you? Do you have a life verse? If so, please share it with us in the comments section below. And while you’re there, share some of the ways the LORD has shown you He is trustworthy?
Wow! Thank you for sharing these verses and this testimony of God’s faithfulness during this difficult time. I love how you can point to His presence and steadfast love right there in the struggle. Thank for sharing how the LORD has blessed you through the letting go process and helped you cling more tightly to Him.
I, like you , can’t pick just one verse. While reading this today this one came to mind:
“5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6. (I shared in KJV because although it’s not my preferred translation it seems when a verse “ comes to mind,“ I tend to remember as I first learned it.
I recently took a position, which I thought was perfect and had thought of as my dream job for years. Things went so easily with the hiring process, I thought surely God was in it. Soon red flags popped up and I felt this wasn’t for me. All the while another path remained clear for me to continue down. I won’t deny the more unhappy I became the more my prayers intensified. Despite this, I still continued to cling to this other position and try to make it work. After two years, I quit clinging to this and just trusted God. He quickly revealed why He had wanted me to continue down the other path. I’m able to cling to Him so much more closely without the weight of holding on to something that wasn’t meant for me.