Isaiah 48:13
"Indeed My hand has laid the foundation of the earth, And My right hand has stretched out the heavens; When I call to them, They stand up together."
Psalm 138:7-8
"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me. The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands."
It is amazing that most of us hardly talk or even recognise the existence of the hand of God. The Bible talks about the hand of God in many ways.
We hear Jabez's prayer in 1 Chronicles 4:10
"And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested."
Jabez's request was for God's hand to be with him, it is very interesting that Jabez did not ask for God to be with him but rather that God's hand might be with him.
The prophet Ezekiel tells us in Ezekiel 37:1 that God's hand was upon him and took him into the valley of dry bones.
What is so special about the hand of God?
God's hand is a figure of speech which points to God’s sovereign power in creation, redemption, His truth and His actions on behalf of His people.
Jabez knew that when God’s hand was with him, he would be protected, he would be blessed, he would be redeemed and many more, Jabez was not just asking for God’s hand he was seeking all of God.
We are told in the book of Deuteronomy 26:8 that God brought the Israelites out of Egypt with a mighty hand. The statement "God's hand" also identifies with His authority and might.
"And the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with great terror and with signs and wonders;"
The psalmist in psalm 111:7 gives us an interesting description of God's hands, when he said:
"The works of His hands are verity and justice; All His precepts are sure". The word verity means truth. The psalmist I believe identifies God as one who dispenses truth and justice through the work of His Hands.
We are also made to understand that every creation is the work of His hand as God Himself affirms this truth in Isaiah 66:2, which Stephen later quotes in Acts 7:50
"Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool. What house will you build for me? Says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Has My hand not made all these things?"
The stability of the universe, the firmament, the seas, and the oceans are held by the hand of The Lord, in short God holds the whole universe in his hands.
Isaiah 40:12
"Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, measured heaven with a span and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?"
Job 12:10
"In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind?"
Job 36:32
"He covers His hands with lightning, And commands it to strike.
By his powerful hand we have been redeemed.
The success of the righteous is ensured by God's powerful hand."
Psalm 16:11
"You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
Psalms 18:35
"You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great."
Some years ago there was a new move of God, when we were all challenged to seek God's face and not His hands. There was nothing wrong with seeking God's face; however I have now come to a realisation that there is no way that one would seek His face and not encounter His hand.
The psalmist alludes to this when he said in Psalm 16:8
"I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved."
And the psalmist goes on to say "at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Oh what a place to be! When we seek His face we will find His hand.
It is amazing how little we know about His hands. Begin today to seek His face and you will not miss His hand.
