Have you ever compared hands with someone, maybe a basketball player, and said, "Man! You have big hands!" Sometimes I will comment, "Those are piano playing hands!" Then I put my hand up to theirs and compare. Not for any specific reason. Just to see how small my hands are compared to theirs.
Now think about it. How big are God's hands?
This morning I was reading in Psalm 37:23 "If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand." God's hands are definitely big enough to guide me down the right path, if I'm on the right path to begin with! When I read this verse, I think of a walking with my son or daughter when they were little. Now, we were never a big 'hiking' family, but there were times when we would walk down dirt paths, full of stones and uneven ground. My natural instinct would be to put my hand behind my child to help guide them and keep them steady on the rough terrain. That's what my God promises to do. He upholds us with His hand. I just have to be sure I'm on the path He wants me to be on. You see, it's a conditional statement. IF He delights in our way, He will uphold us.
We all probably know that old kid's song, "He's got the whole world in His hands." Now that's some pretty big hands, too, don't you think?
Isaiah has some great references to God's hands, as well. Isaiah 40:12 "Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighted the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?" OK, I'm no scientist, and I have not even one clue on how to figure out how much water is on the earth. And that's ok, because my almighty God does know, and he can measure it all in his hand!
Then finally, I love the visual picture of our image being tattooed on the palm of God's hands. Isaiah 49:16 says, "See, I have engraved you on the palm of my hands." Top that one, Miami Ink! Can you even imagine that?
God has such a tender way of reminding me that He is always near. He is omnipotent. And He can do much more than the little box I sometimes put Him in. When I fall and stumble, His hand upholds me. When I think the problem is so big that there's no way out, I'm reminded that His power doesn't end! And when I think I'm forgotten, I'm really not. I'm right there, tattoed on His hand.
Life is hard. Living the Christian life with diligence is hard. These truths about God are something we know with our head knowledge, but we often choose to forget them in our heart. We choose to worry and take the burden on ourselves. God has big hands. He has piano hands. He has basketball hands. Surely, with hands that big, He can handle our little problems.
---Beth Banfill
www.GodandMe2theMax.com