Hands of the Lord – Part 1

Hands of the Lord (Isaiah 64:8) – Part 1

Today’s devotion is an excerpt from a Bible Study I recently preached.

Isaiah 64:8, “But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.”

Recently someone asked me, “What is God like? How do you picture Him?” John 4:24, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” It is true. God is a Spirit; but a wonderful thing I have discovered as I have studied the Word of God is that, though God is a Spirit, in order for us to understand what He is like. He speaks of Himself in human terms with human characteristics so that we might be able to understand exactly what He is like.

1) Eyes: I Peter 3:12, “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.”

2) Smell: Ephesians 5:2, “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.”

3) Foot: Isaiah 66:1, “Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?”

4) Breath: Genesis 2:7, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

5) Mind: Hebrews 6:10, “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

6) Heart: John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
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I have found that of all the physical characteristics of God mentioned in the Scripture, His hands are spoken of often. So I want us to think together today on the subject, “The Hands of Our Lord”.

1. Safe Hands (John 10:28).
The first thing I would like to think about is that His hands are safe hands. His hands are safe hands as described in John 10:28, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” His hands are safe hands. We are secure in Christ. The security is in the shepherd's ability, not in the sheep's. I learned a long time ago, and I try to follow through with it consistently, that anything I commit into His hands is safe. So many problems that I have, and many situations that I don't have a solution for, I just commit them into His hands.

2. Straightening Hands (Luke 13:10-13).
Another thought that comes to mind is that His hands are straightening hands. Luke 13:10-13, “And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.”

His hands are straightening hands. He is able to take crooked things and straighten them out. Isn't it wonderful to know that God can make crooked things straight? Think with me for a moment. I wonder how many crooked things there have been seen in your life during the past year. I am not using the word “crooked” in the sense that there is something criminal, something against the law. But things that are chaotic and confusing, and you have wondered what you can do about them. Why don't you just turn them over to the Lord and let His hands straighten out those things? I have seen Him straighten out so much.

3. Sustaining Hands (Matthew 14:25-31).
Another thought that comes to mind is that His hands are sustaining hands. They are able to hold you up! Matthew 14:25-31, “And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”

Isaiah 41:9, “Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.” Isaiah 41:10, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

If you know Christ as your Saviour, then realize that you belong to Him. You are under His care. He will watch over you. We tend to forget this, but remembering this truth will help you confront your fear. You do not have to be dismayed, frightened, or anxiously look around because you are afraid. The presence of the Lord in our lives offers that same comfort.

Please visit this website tomorrow, Part 2 of this 2 part post.

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