2002-01-21 - Hands Across Heaven

Deuteronomy 33:3 Indeed He loves the people, all Your holy ones are in Your hand, and they followed in Your steps; everyone receives of Your words.

Sometimes it is interesting to look at a passage and try to figure out what it is not saying. Notice that this verse does not say, "Indeed He loves all the Presbyterians, or Baptists, or Pentecostals." No, the passage says that He loves all His people without respect to denomination, social class, or how much each of us know or do not know. God loves all His people and what a great comfort this is to us. All God's children are in His hand.

I recently had the privilege of joining for an evening with a group of people who had come out of a Methodist background. We met for two and a half hours. We sang, prayed, encouraged and edified each other. It was not so much of an amazing experience in itself, but what was amazing to me is that they do this every week. They also meet for Bible study on another night, the men gather for prayer on Saturday mornings and the women fellowship together once a week also. On top of all that they are involved in their local church.

Their zeal for the Lord would put most people in my denomination to complete shame.

I bet there are groups like this all around the world. Groups of godly people who quietly serve the Lord, grow in grace, and long for heaven. Without respect to denomination these are God's people, He loves them, and they are the holy ones who are in His hand. In God's hand they are safe. As we are told in Scripture, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand" John 10:27,28. These are those who know the promise of Isaiah 41:10, "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you. Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

I don't know if you have ever had the chance to help someone who is blind or feeble in strength. If you have, you know that one of the ways to help them is to offer them your hand. Your hand can serve as support or as a guide to lead them in the right path. I suspect that, in some manner, this is what it is like to be in God's hand. We may not like it, but we are needy people and the love and compassion of God offers us His hand to lead and guide us. The more we understand how much of a blessing this is and the more we can learn to trust and rest in the guidance of the Lord, the more He can lead us in righteousness. His Word and Spirit serve as our guides. "For I considered all this in my heart, so that I could declare it all: that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God." Eccleisastes 9:1

Soli Deo Gloria,

T-

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