I love looking at repeating patterns in scripture. Today, I noticed the phrase in Matthew 14–in the account of a terrified Peter about to sink in the waves–how Jesus “immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him.”
I remembered another time we see God reaching down to take hold of us. In Psalm 18:16, we read David’s words that “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.”
I love the image of God taking hold of us. And it’s not just Peter and David who talk about this. Paul, too, knows about this God who takes hold of us. He writes in Philippians 3:12 how he presses on “to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”
God takes hold of us. And if you remember, there’s a beautiful moment at the end of Matthew when we read about our resurrected Lord. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.
I think about God taking hold of me as I take hold of Him.
When we are afraid or overwhelmed, we can picture God reaching out His hand to take hold of us today.