Daily Devotional

“Hey partner, how are you doing?” the paramedic said, looking down at me.

I was writhing on the floor with excruciating pain radiating through my left side, the unmistakable sensation of a kidney stone ripping its way through my urinary tract.

For whatever reason, the Lord has seen fit to allow me to struggle with recurring kidney stones.  The pH in my body is extremely acidic, and I build up uric acid stones regularly.  

During my most-recent trip to the ER, doctors ordered a CT scan of my abdomen, and I couldn’t help laugh out loud at the results.  The report stated that I have an “unremarkable gallbladder and unremarkable spleen.”  I guess in medical situations “unremarkable” means good.  But it also identified the cause of my excruciating pain—a 2mm stone lodged in my ureter.

I suppose all of us have some version of our own “Achilles heel”— some area of weakness that reminds us how fragile we really are.  But those areas of vulnerability should also remind us how strong and sufficient God really is.

During my recent battle with a kidney stone, the verse that I held onto was Psalm 73:23, because it reminded me that God was holding on to me!

Have you ever marveled at the thought of God holding you by the right hand?  

In Scripture, the right hand signifies strength, because most people are right-handed, and their dominant arm is typically much stronger.  So when the Bible says that God holds us by the right hand, it means that he is the source of our strength and we don’t have to rely on our own power!  We can trust him because our lives are in his hands, and his hands are omnipotent and unfailing.

Isaiah 41:13 – “For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

Exodus 15:6 – “Your right hand, O LORD, is majestic in power; Your right hand, O LORD, has shattered the enemy.”

When I was writhing in agony, the other thing that comforted me was knowing that God was with me through it all.  “I am continually with you.” Even when everything seemed out of control, I was reminded that God was in control.  And sometimes that has to be enough. In fact, it’s more than enough.

No matter what challenges you may be facing today, I hope you hang on to the hope of Psalm 73:23, because God is hanging on to you.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.