In The Father’s Hands
By Marianna Meachen, Director of Care Ministries
In 2018 a group of us from First Prez went to Israel. One of my favorite stops was at Shiloh. The site where the tabernacle stood for 369 years. A place where Hannah prayed for a child and given Samuel. A place where Joshua and Eli were and where the seven tribes were assigned their land. It was a Godly place, and there was an intimacy felt there, a place where I felt the power of the Holy Spirit.
To get to the site where the tabernacle had been, we had to walk up a gravel incline. Our footing was unstable, and as I was walking, one of the people walking alongside me reached down and took my hand to steady me. A jolt went through me as I realized what an intimate act holding a hand was, even when only done to steady someone.
Aristotle called the hand the "tool of tools." It is the most frequently symbolized part of the human body. We use it for strength, power, and protection.
Have you ever looked at or thought about hands? I remember as a child when daddy would hold my hand and sometimes pick me up and swing me around. It was so much fun! I trusted his strong hands not to drop me. I remember my grandmother's hands––strong, sturdy, capable hands. Those hands worked alongside my grandfather’s on the farm, and yet they were also gentle hands that wiped tears from her children's eyes. We think of the steadiness of a surgeon's hands. We see the tiny hand of a newborn so perfectly formed, and we feel the touch of a loved one's hand as they caress us. Our hands are useful objects to be used in work and play. Hands create, and hands soothe. What marvelous instruments God has given us.
In the Bible, in the book of Isaiah, we are told:
“Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand.” (Isaiah 64:8 NIV)
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10 NIV)
What comfort it gives us to know that God has us in the palm of His hand. We need not fear or be anxious. He gives us His strength. Despite a pandemic, a tragedy, a difficult time, or a bad day, God is with us. When there are disruptions in our lives, God is there, even when we do not feel His presence.
God is there in the well of our emotions, good or bad. He is there when we are in prayer. He is there in our worship, right beside us, holding us, speaking to our hearts gently, and ministering to us in the deepest parts of our soul.
He tells us not to hold everything up by our strength. He tells us it is okay to feel our sadness, hurt, anger, and helplessness because He is there. We are small, but God's hands are large. Let Him hold you and give you His peace.
Prayer: Precious Father, we thank You for Your loving hands, that hold us; for Your caring heart that calls to us and heals us in Your love; for Your grace; and for Your mercy. May we always know, understand, and praise You for all the many ways You hold us. We give You glory forever. In Jesus' mighty Name, we pray. Amen
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