Who Do You Depend Upon to Uphold You?

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

REFLECTION

by Mary Alice McGinnis

On two separate occasions, I broke bones in my upper right extremity—once a compound fracture in my wrist, and another time, three metacarpal bones in my hand. The pain was sharp and unrelenting, radiating through my arm and leaving my hand swollen, bruised, and heavy with immobility.

I remember feeling deep frustration and helplessness as I attempted to complete even the most mundane tasks. Simple actions like opening a drawer or turning a doorknob suddenly required intense concentration and often ended in failure or tears of exasperation.

Flossing my teeth became a slow, awkward process, and holding a vacuum felt nearly impossible as my grip faltered. Each attempt at independence was met with a humbling new limitation.

Emotionally, I battled waves of discouragement and impatience. The realization of how much I depended on my dominant hand struck me with every failed attempt at routine tasks. My thoughts raced, “What happens if I don’t ever regain the full use of my right hand again?”

I heard God’s voice speak to me, “Do not fear, do not be dismayed, I am your God.”

Why do we fear? Why do we become dismayed? Perhaps it is because we are depending on something or someone that is not strong enough to really help us. Maybe we are depending on those things that have limited strength, wisdom, and power.

Isaiah tells us, that when we claim God as OUR God, He will strengthen us and help us. Why? Because we are worthy of His help? NO! We have all made our own mess, and don’t deserve to be rescued.

Reality is, as Romans 3:10 says, “There is no one righteous, not even one.”

But the Lord speaks to us through Isaiah and says, “I will uphold you.” To “uphold” has the connotation of a court proceeding - to support or defend someone legally during a trial. Like an Advocate, God say He will speak and acting in our favor.

If we cannot trust in our own ability to make things right, how do we know that God will uphold us? How can we depend upon God to advocate for us when we know we are not deserving?

We depend upon the One who is righteous. Jesus came is the Righteous One prophesied about in the Old Testament. “We have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” 1 John 2:1

Jesus is God’s Righteous RIGHT HAND. He holds dominion, power, and all authority over ALL things. "Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." Romans 8:34

This holy, righteous, all powerful One, who conquered even death, is the One who came to die for us is upholding us by His Righteous Right hand!

Prayer – Lord, I thank You for the times You have use my brokenness to reveal my weakness, frailty, and human limitations. Jesus, thank You that You came as the Righteous One, who has taken my guilt upon Yourself, and in exchange have washed me clean. You are the One who holds all dominion and power, who sits at the right hand of God of the Father. Thank You for being my Advocate, the One who upholds me with Your Righteous Right Hand.

I depend on You and You alone.