Psalm 63:8 I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.
My heart rate slows; my blood pressure plummets when I read the last part of this verse. Can you feel the gears shift? Desperation melts into trust. Self-effort dissolves when the Almighty God of the universe gets His grasp on you.
My mind’s eye catches a snapshot of glances between me and my Father. Legitimate fear got me to this place, the place of clinging. I clutch with all the strength of a toddler and stare up to His eyes for reassurance, safety, relief, deliverance. His return glance comes with a strong right-handed clasp and a twinkle, revealing full awareness of the disparity between my inadequacy and His competency.
There’s no shame in being a clinger! Unless, of course you believe that your clinging outshines His upholding.
Barnyard of Heaven 
Thanks Ron… I have clung to His hand tighter and tighter as time goes by. It’s a great visual to picture our dependence and trust in Him.
Great to read your post and to know that He upholds us with His mighty hand. Glad you are writing again.
Hi Ron!
Thanks for the Scripture seed and the anointed circle-of-life photo to meditate on… I see a lifetime of human experience in those.
Our picture of “cling” is forever enriched after your story of watching helplessly as the new-found joy and treasure of your heart is propelled into the next second that will certainly end in horrific injury and pain – if not worse. Your soul cries out the best intercessory prayer for the moment: “HELP!” The girl reaches deep and pulls out her warrior tether-ball grip and locks in as she is pulled into the unknown. Time stops as the sunset shines through over an empty saddle… then, in a miracle, horse and rider safely land together. She did the clinging and the Father’s hand did the upholding. Your heart frozen in fear beats again with joy and thanksgiving. And the city-girl with the flying blonde hair earns her Indian name: Laura-Stays-In-Saddle.
David opens his psalm with this thought: “O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You. (Psalm 63:1)”
Hmmm… “early” what?
Early in the day? First thing every morning I will re-establish my cling to You, Father.
Early in the problem? First thing with every problem, trouble, difficulty or “situation” (good or bad) I’m going to make it my first step to cling to You, Father.
How about early in life? Early in life I will learn to cling to You, Father.
So I ponder your well-chosen photo…
Babies don’t have to be taught to cling to their father… God “wired it” into them while He knit them together in their mother’s womb. Just touch your finger into the palm of a newborn and their little fingers cling around yours with all the milligram strength they can muster. Who can resist that?
Your photo of young and old, and Mary Ann’s comment, “I have clung to His hand tighter and tighter as time goes by .” reminds me of the circle of life. Or, I should say, “The circle of clinging.” As a newborn, it’s wired into us to cling. Soon we learn to crawl, walk, then run. And in no time we’re off riding a bicycle – we’re free, mobile, and independent! Hold hands? Cling? “Oh, that’s baby stuff… we’re mature now and smarter every day!
So the education of life goes on for many years until we finally arrive at actually being smart enough to say, “I don’t know anything anymore except that I need to cling to my Father’s hand for I know He upholds me.”
What does the baby’s infant strength to cling contribute to the father’s strength to uphold? Absolutely nothing. But… each is “wired” to respond to the other. When the baby’s palm is touched, it clings with all its strength. When the father sees those little fingers grip around his and cling with all their tiny might – no matter how burly-man he is – a switch is flipped, a program is loaded, and a new “app” shows up on the home screen. At that moment, his heart melts and everything changes… the father’s heart is “wired” to respond to his child’s cling.
In the photo I see the circle of life… the circle of clinging… the circle of faith. We must be converted and become as little children to enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 18:3). The root word for “converted” comes from the orbit of the planets – their circular path returns them to where they began.
As babies, we’re born with the wisdom to cling to our father’s touch. Then we spend the orbit of our life stumbling through the world being too self-dependent for that.
Until, we return to the point of a child’s faith and say:
I cling to You…
(The Father’s heart melts… He is “wired” to respond to His child’s cling.)
Your right hand uphold me!!!
-Your friend
Robert, thanks for sharing your keen and relevant insights. I like your perspective of the appropriateness of clinging yet the hubris it can lean towards despite our actual “milligram” of contribution. 😀. Our Fathers hold on us seems so much more of a sure thing – a trump card maybe. Another version reads: “My soul hangs on thee…”. Thanks again my friend!
This song is a beautiful expression of the thought that the Father upholds us.
Performed by Celtic Woman at the Powerscourt House & Gardens, Ireland in 2009
You Raise Me Up
When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary
When troubles come and my heart burdened be
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence
Until you come and sit awhile with me
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up to more than I can be
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up to more than I can be
There is no life – no life without its hunger
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly
But when you come and I am filled with wonder
Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up to more than I can be
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up to more than I can be
You raise me up to more than I can be
Songwriters: Brendan Graham / Rolf Lovland
You Raise Me Up lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group