The Hand of God

Ever wonder what kinds of things God has saved you from? What disasters His hand stopped? Ever wondered at the mystery of God’s protective hand? Ever experienced it? Most likely you have whether you were able to see it or not.

The net that kept you from spinning out of control during that really bad storm…that “delay” with traffic that kept you from an accident further on down the road…that tornado that came so close, then took a sudden turn…the heart that stopped but then began beating once again (my cousin!!)...

That cancer that was violently threatening a life, death immanent, then suddenly nothing appears on the screen…the cancer gone… “snap” just like that! Doctors baffled…friends and families shocked…prayers answered…protection that had not been asked for given…delays that were such a pain suddenly became the welcomed friend…what a difference GOD makes. It is a wonder why we ever complain…why we see things as half empty when really they are half full!

Oh the pain that has been stopped…the accidents avoided…weather subdued…illness healed…we serve an AMAZING GOD! It is never a wonder to me why I experience pain, but rather why I have so little in comparison to what I really deserve!

I looked twice both ways. There I was at an intersection just down the road from my house, with the cars on my left stopped at a stop sign and only two cars to my right; I knew it would not be long till I was on my way to the old couple’s house for the weekend.  “After these two cars it’ll be safe…I’ll go after they pass…” I listen and watch as they whir past me.

 Pulling out into the intersection, my heart stops. I expected to view the road in my eyes…but came face to face with a yellow truck I had not accounted for! He came out of no where (probably an alley looking back in hindsight). I did the stop-go-stop-go thing (bad idea). He had to come to a complete stop to avoid hitting me.

I pull ahead and get into the lane and think to myself “phew! Glad there were no cops around to see that…big OOPS! Guess I need to watch more closely…yes yes Bethany you DO!” Just as I finished this thought I look in my rear view mirror to see the red and blue lights I have become so accustom to seeing lately…I had spoken (or thought lol) too soon!

I had enough wits (grace of God) about me to pull over into the nearest parking lot, (for there isn’t much room on the side on that particular street). Stopping, I take a deep breath… “what will I say? I don’t even know what possessed me to do that…” The policeman was out of his SUV and headed towards me, I quickly rolled my window down and prayed for God’s help and mercy.

“Do you know why I pulled you over?” Where have I heard this before? Oh, yes the four other times I have been pulled over! However, this time I could actually answer in the affirmative. I did in fact know). “Yes sir, because I pulled out in front of that truck.”

“Have we had anything to drink today?” (they always ask me this…hmm…) “No sir.”

“Have we had anything to drink ever?” “No sir.”

He asks for my stuff which I hand him almost second naturedly. He goes back into his car and sits there forever (like they always do). Finally he comes back…I was certain there would be a ticket in his hand and already had plans underway as to how I would try and cover the cost. “I will deserve what I get…” Turning to face him, he asks me to roll the window down a bit farther. “Do you have any sort of health problems?” “No sir, I honestly just did not see that guy…he came out of no where.” His next words cut to the quick:

“You almost got hit, if he had not stopped it would have been an accident. I’m going to let you go with just a warning.”

I was floored at this point. “You need to be careful on the roads, and be more watchful, wouldn’t want any accidents today.” With that he handed me my warning and got back into his SUV. I pulled away more carefully than I have ever done in my entire life! I waited till I was out of sight of him, and immediately broke down!

I have been struggling a lot lately, with a particular sin…it honestly is a constant battle. And lately I had begun to notice a drift in my relationship to God, and I had begun to fear that God’s wrath was building against me. Like how those huge rolling thunderheads on a hot summer evening, mean a storm is approaching, so I felt like God’s wrath was on my horizon and building greater and greater and waiting to strike at any moment.

I felt like God was against me, and that I was no longer of use to Him and at any moment it was all going to be over for me because His mercy was going to run dry on me and my rebellion.

It was a feeling and thought that was deep inside me…nothing that I told anyone else about…nothing that I thought about a whole lot, but certainly did think about.

Tears filled my eyes,. God…I deserved a ticket just now! Thankyou for your grace to me, shown through that policeman!” Those were my immediate thoughts (actually these are always my thoughts after getting pulled over). But this time the thoughts went further. Bethany…my daughter, you have been fearing my wrath, you think I have no use for you anymore because of your rebellion…I just saved you from that wreck!”

A light came on!! Fresh tears formed again, I could barely see the road I was trying to drive on, before long the tears were rolling down my face…I was sobbing. Father…I can’t believe Your grace towards me! I can’t believe you have given me yet another chance…I need to change! I have seen Your hand of protection before…but now I have seen it in my own life!

When I finally arrived at the old couple’s home I pulled out the warning and read it. The thing I was pulled over for is an FTY (failure to yield), this is ironic because not only was it a blunder I had pulled with my car, it was a blunder I was/am currently pulling in my spiritual road of life as well! When I sin it is a failure to yield to God, it was a blunder in my physical life and a blunder in my spiritual life as well.

I keep that warning in my billfold, to remind me of the grace of God, and of the fact that He is a God of second chances, and to remind me to yield to Him, and to remind me of the time I saw His hand!

 To receive something directly from the hand of the giver, is way more special than receiving it second hand! Recently I did a study through God’s Word about His hand.

 Here is what I found:

In 2 Chronicles 30:12 we see that there is a correlation between God’s hand and our obedience. So why then, when we do something right are we so quick to take the glory?:
“The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the LORD.”

Apart from the grace of God: there go I!!

 The focus of this particular writing was on the “goodness”  in God’s hand. It was more focused on pointing out the protection  of God’s hand. But we must remember that while we sing “Stayed upon Jehovah” we must also sing “It is well with my soul.” What I mean by that is, while it is true there is protection from the hand of God, He also brings pain. But we always can know and rest in the fact that it is always for our good (Rom. 8:28). There are wonderful riches from God’s hand, sometimes they are sugar coated and sweet, other times they are bitter. But how we must accept both! We see the pain that God hands in Job 19:21:
“Pity me, pity me, O you my friends, For the hand of God has struck me.”

May we accept the bad as we accept the good: with praise to Jehovah!! “Every blessing (good) You (God) pour out, I’ll turn back in praise….when the darkness (bad) closes in Lord STILL I WILL PRAISE!

Ever wonder why we pray before we eat? Ever had the “food prayer” become mundane? Ever go into auto-pilot during this particular “prayer time?” You know the prayer: “Dear heavenly Father, thankyou for this food. Amen” I sometimes wonder what He must think when we say things like that without really meaning it. I sometimes wonder how many times I actually mean it.  How our prayers could change!

 Ever grow tired of your job? Ever complain about it? Ever wish you didn’t have to work? What a different persecptive and work ethic we could have!

 How could our prayer for supper change? How could our work ethic (even a work day!) change? If we saw both as from the very Hand of the Almighty God!!  In Ecclesiastes 2:24 we see that both drink and food and labor are all from God’s hand:
“There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God.”

This is the best part about the hand of God! Jesus being at the right of it: Mark 16:19
“So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.”
 Acts 2:33
“Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.”

This is amazing because Christ LIVES!! And also because of the work He is doing for us at God’s right hand:

Romans 8:34 “who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.” There is no one who condemns! Because we have a Savior Jesus Christ, Who shows His scars He bore for our sins!

What we are to live for, what we are to aim for is also at the right of God’s hand:
Colossians 3:1
“ Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” We now have purpose and meaning in life!

The result of knowing God’s hand and what He holds in side it and what is at the right of it, is HUMILITY! God has power in His hand to lift up, to strike down. To give and to take away, all for His glory and that our hearts be drawn closer to Him. We must submit and trust in Him:

1 Peter 5:6
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time”

 But the best thing (next to Jesus being at the right of God’s hand) is the protection that those who have trusted Christ as their substitute for the penalty of their sin, have! Jesus and God (both!) hold us in their hand: John 10:28-30: “ And I (Jesus) 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. I and the Father are one.” Believers We got double the protection!! Two sets of hands on us!! PRAISE JEHOVAH once saved = ALWAYS SAVED!!

So friend, where are you?  Maybe you don’t have that double protection. Maybe you have never accepted Christ as your substitute for your sin. I urge you, accept Him today! If you would like to know more, reach out and message me!! I would love to share with you about my great Savior and what He did for you!

 Perhaps friend, you are saved, and maybe you are wandering like I was (and still do). May you know that God is a God of second chances and mercy, but also know that He does chasten (Heb. 12) those who He loves, He wants to be first in our lives because He knows that is the only life that is worth it all!

 Or Maybe you need a different perspective on:  trials…on blessings… on your own obedience…on Christ….on your aim and goal in life…on your job…on the food and drink…on the prayer you pray before eating your meals… maybe you need to more readily acknowledge the hand of God in these areas! Maybe you need to submit and humble yourself under His hand!

Whatever it is friends, I pray God has spoken to you through His Word and that the Holy Spirit  has convicted and that you get the help you need, and that you learn to trust God and submit and to change the things that need changed! May you have been encouraged!! God bless you, and may you see His hand in your own life as I have!

Ps. If you have seen the hand of God in your own life, please share! Comment and let me know how you have seen His hand! It’s everywhere!!