Unshaken by Joylene M Bailey

******** 

When I was given Psalm 16:8 for the month of January 2020, little did I know that it would become a fortress for the entire year.

In January I wrote:

Because I have set the LORD continually before me, He is within easy reach. I don't even need to think about it. It should be a natural reflex to reach for Him no matter the circumstances.

Like a child reaching for her father's hand, certain it will be there every time.

******** 

When neighbours hid in houses and bustling streets went quiet,

Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

When plexiglass barriers went up and friendly smiles were covered,

Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

When looking down at directional arrows replaced looking each other in the eye,

Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

When Covid numbers climbed and human experts cautioned,

Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

When travel was restricted and I was cut off from children and grandchildren,

Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

When groceries had to be disinfected as they entered our doors,

Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

When my temperature was taken before I entered my hair salon,

Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

When Mom was not allowed to attend the funeral of a beloved sister,

Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

When grandchildren couldn't invite friends to their birthday parties,

Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

When riots broke out and the world seemed to go crazy,

Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

When I watched friends suffer during a time of Covid,

Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

When fear threatens and despair taunts,

When weariness for the world sets in,

When prayers for others stack up like bricks too heavy to carry,

Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

******** 

When I look back over the year, I see how I reached for my Father's hand over and over again. Because He has proven Himself trustworthy in my past, it is a natural, almost unconscious, response to reach for the strong and comforting hand that I know will be there. Every time.

 Photo by Jed Owen on Unsplash

******** 

I have set the LORD continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Psalm 16:8

********

Joy writes from Edmonton, AB where she lives with her Cowboy, and soon-to-be-married Babe. The arrival of Covid19 prompted her to begin the Tea Time posts on her blog, Scraps of Joy, in order to help create community in isolation.

At My Right Hand by Joy Bailey

**********

I have yet to meet an accountant who is not methodical in their ways.

Forgive me if that sounds like typecasting. It’s really not. 

The accountant who used to do our taxes, before he retired, was tall, bean-pole thin, with long bony fingers that were never still. He had a receding chin and a 1970’s-style moustache, and he liked to talk about racehorses. A unique character. 

But when it came to doing his job, he was very methodical. Every piece of paperwork we gave him was placed neatly on his desk, with the edges squared up. Like-documents were dutifully paper-clipped together. His pen was always in his upper left shirt pocket.

Likewise the business we use for our home insurance. It is a family-run business, where all of the agents and technicians share common offices. We have met with one young agent several times, each time in a different office. But every office is identical in the way it is set up.

Because I’m a student of human behaviour, I took note of this young agent’s demeanor. He was efficient and focused. I believe one of the reasons he could be so was because no matter which office we met in, his tools were always in the same location. Computer on the desk, stapler in the top left drawer, calculator in the right. He didn’t have to stop to think where to find the tools of his trade. They were right at hand.  

**********

I know that Bible commentaries tell us “at my right hand” is significant because 

In biblical times, the right hand was the most distinguished position, reserved for one’s chief adviser and supporter.  

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2009/20090715-1207.html

And

… a position of defense or protection. To have one at our right hand is to have one near us who can defend us. 

https://www.studylight.org/commentary/psalms/16-8.html

But the very first thing that came to my mind when the LORD drew me to Psalm 16:8 as my verse for this month, if not the whole year, was the picture of that young insurance agent reaching into his right drawer for his calculator, without even thinking about it.

Because I have set the LORD continually before me, He is within easy reach. I don’t even need to think about it. It should be a natural reflex to reach for Him no matter the circumstances. 

Like a child reaching for her father’s hand, certain it will be there every time. 

**********

I have set the LORD continually before me;

Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Psalm 16:8

**********

Joy lives and writes in Edmonton. 

You can find her at Scraps of Joy.