“Give me your hand son, so you won’t fall down and skin your knee.” With the toddler’s hand secured, his Dad and Mom walked out the front door.” Any normal parent can identify with this scene and like me can’t count the times their child tripped but because you had a tight grip, their knees never touched the sidewalk. Another scenario happens when children are determined to get loose and run ahead or they see something across the street they want and try breaking away from your grip. They may tug and yank begging you to let go but knowing the danger, you tightened your grip. We place great value on our children and do all we can to keep them safe.
When I make something in my woodshop out of a worthless piece of wood and it turns out really nice and valuable, I’m cautious about guarding it from careless hands. As God’s children, He places great value on us. Just think of what He invested for your salvation. Jesus died on the cross paying all our debts from sin. One of my favorite verses says, we are His workmanship (Eph 2:10). Workmanship also means masterpiece, crowning achievement, or His magnum opus. We are like a worthless piece of wood until He recreates us by the blood of Jesus. Then we become His priceless workmanship and He does all that is necessary to keep us.
The words of Jesus give us assurance of His protection. Jesus said, I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand (Joh 10:28, 29). Notice these verses give the image of dual security. Jesus says we are in His hand and also in the Father’s hand. Isaiah reminds us just how great God’s hand is; Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand (Isa 40:12). Every time I have flown across the Atlantic or the Pacific oceans after hours and hours with nothing but water below, I thought of this verse and I was awed by His greatness. That’s the hand holding us.
King David understood that through all His difficulties, battles, and even his failures, God’s hand was holding him tight. If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me (Psa 139:8-10). I’ve traveled to some places in the world most people would label ‘God forsaken’. However, David reassured us there is no place that His hand does not reach. Considered the most remote place on earth, Point Nemo in the south Pacific is 1,670 miles from the nearest inhabited landmass. Yet, the Lord is there. The most remote place I have been is the hopeless pit of depression. It felt ‘God forsaken’ but I’ve learned through the years, He was there and holding me tight.
Our spiritual journey can take us through rough and challenging places. We can go through failure, temptation, spiritual dryness, attacks of Satan, and times when we feel like the Holy Spirit has abandoned us. We must rely on His promises during these seasons. Beware of what others may tell you like Job’s misleading friends. We can’t base faith on feelings. We ground it on the object of our faith, Jesus. He paid an infinite price for us and assured us that He will keep us to the end. Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy (Jud 1:24).
Peter provides a visual example of how Jesus’ hand keeps us. During a pounding storm, Jesus came to the disciple’s boat by walking on the water. Impulsively, Peter asked Jesus if he could come to Him. He got out of the boat and also began walking on the water until he noticed the wind again. He became afraid, began sinking, and cried out to Jesus, “Lord, save me!” Then came the hand, Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him (Matt 14:30).
I thought of my Grandpa Lee all the time I was writing this. He farmed his entire life plowing with oxen and mules. My wife cared for him before he died and still today, she talks about how strong his hands were. He loved playing with me and giving me a noogie—rubbing my head with his knuckle. I would try to run but he would always catch me and I knew once he got his strong hands on me I would never get away. I also knew no one could ever harm me because with his strong hands he would protect me. How much more will the hand of our omnipotent, all-powerful Father keep us from stumbling and keep us from running away?
Sustaining Word for the Week: Give Me your hand My child, so you won’t fall down or run away. Now, rest in peace, the Father has your hand.