Hold To God's Unchanging Hand...
When we think of hand holding many images come to our minds and each image represents
different emotions. Maybe you remember the first little girl you held hands with. Or maybe
you think of how big your daddy's hands looked when you were small, or possibly you think
first of holding your new born baby and how small and yet perfect each hand was.
Time is filled with swift transition-Naught of earth unmoved can stand-
Build your hopes on things eternal, Hold to God's unchanging hand.
Trust in Him who will not leave you, Whatsoever years may bring,
If by earthly friends forsaken, Still more closely to Him cling.
Covet not this world's vain riches, That so rapidly decay,
Seek to gain the heavenly treasures, They will never pass away!
When your journey is completed, If to God you have been true,
Fair and bright the home in glory Your enraptured soul will view.
Hold to God's unchanging hand! Hold to God's unchanging hand!
Build your hopes on things eternal, Hold to God's unchanging hand.
Picture this:
An elderly couple sit on the porch swing holding hands in the moonlight-commitment.
A nurse notices a small boy looking on as his mother has just been brought into the
Emergency Room. Going over to the child, the nurse takes his face in her hands to
shield the view-- sensitivity. You watch a construction worker as he builds a mighty
building. In his hand he holds a hammer-strength. A preacher stands beside a young woman
with tears in her eyes as the court grants the final divorce decree; the minister pats her hand
gently. The marriage has been painful, but change, too, is painful-- sympathy. A mom takes
her son to the first day of school. As they approach the classroom he reaches up
and takes her hand--security. An aging man stands at his wife's bedside. She's been faithful
and dear to him for many years. They have faced much together, but never death.
They will face it together also. He holds her hand and squeezes it gently as life grows
near it's end-- support. A camp instructor takes the hand of each child as they cross a
stream-- strength, help. A father takes the hand of his daughter and places it in the hand
of a young man and thus "gives her away"-- confidence. His classmate has been drinking
at the party and now starts to leave. As a friend, he reaches out his hand and grabs the keys
from him. "You won't drive in this condition."-- conviction. An infant reaches out to put
his hand into a plug-in, his mom says no, but he continues his reach.
She reaches out and spats his hand-- correction.
It's called Theo-anthropomorphism. Taking traits of humans and giving them to God.
That's what we do and the scriptures do when we talk about God's hand(s). There are
nearly 100 times that the scriptures speak of the hand(s) of God. This morning I want us to
walk through some of those passages and notice three major areas:
The blessings God gives as we hold to His hand. --or why should I want to hold to God's hand?
The benefits we receive as we hold to His hand. --or what God gives me as I hold to His hand.
The bond we enter into as we hold to God's hand --or how to hold to his hand?
Blessing of Holding to God's Hand
First let's consider the blessings God gives as we hold to His hand.
I want us to notice four major blessings that come from holding to God's unchanging hand.
Have you ever thought about the commitment or stand that God takes with His people?
We live in a day where commitments fall shattered so very easily. People often let us down.
I know, because I often fail in my commitments; often end up letting other people down.
In time the sad reality sets in and eventually we come to expect people to let us down.
We begin to expect broken promises and we give up on commitments made. The repair man
charges us ten times the estimate, the doctor is two hours later than he said he would be,
the mechanic takes two days longer than he promised, our boss doesn't give us the assured
promotion, and our expectations crumble. Yes, people let us down, but God won't!
Consider the following: "...He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you"
(Heb . 13:5 Quotations are from the New King James Version unless otherwise noted).
It is a covenant that God has made with His people. "For the LORD your God is a merciful
God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which
He swore to them" (Deut. 4:31). "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of
them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor
forsake you" (Deut. 31:6). "And the LORD, He is the one who goes before you. He will be
with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed." (Deut. 31:8).
"And David said to his son Solomon, "Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear
nor be dismayed, for the LORD God; my God; will be with you. He will not leave you nor
forsake you..." (1 Chron. 28:20). "When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the
LORD will take care of me" (Psa. 27:10). "The poor and needy seek water, but there is
none, Their tongues fail for thirst. I, the LORD, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not
forsake them" (Isa. 41:17).
As we consider those Old Testament passages remember that God's hand is unchanging.
The nature of God does not change. If He hung in there with the children of Israel, He will do
the same for us. Notice the words of the song: "If by earthly friends forsaken, still more closely
to him cling." God is committed to you. Oh, how I need that commitment: to know that God
will never walk out on me, to know that He will be patient with me; a commitment we can
Second, let us consider the blessing of God's compassion or sensitivity to His people:
Sometimes those of us who preach believe we need an emotive story to touch the hearts of
people, but I do not suppose anything is as tender as the story of the love of God. How God
gave His only Son for you and I, and of how He continues to be compassionate toward our
needs. We all need compassion. It is natural to desire it as we go though this sometimes
rocky walk called "life." The Bible speaks often of God's compassion. "Take My yoke upon you
and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For
My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Mt. 11:29-30). "Here is my servant, the one I support.
He is the one I chose, and I am pleased with him. I have put my Spirit upon him, and he will bring
justice to all nations. He will not cry out or yell or speak loudly in the streets. He will not break
a crushed blade of grass or put out even a weak flame. He will truly bring justice; he will not
lose hope or give up until he brings justice to the world. And people far away will trust his
teachings" (Isa. 42:1-4 New Century Version-NCV).
Imagine the pictures of compassion we could paint using the canvas of Jesus' life: He
touched the lepers. He lovingly dismissed the woman caught in adultery. He forgave the thief
on the cross. He fed the hungry multitude and gave the widow back her son that was dead.
Thank God that His grace reaches me! "For when we were still without strength, in due
time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a
good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us,
in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified
by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were
reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall
be saved by His life" (Rm. 5:6-10). Titus added that "God's grace that can save everyone has
The compassion of God blesses us daily. He makes His sun to rise and sends rain (Mt. 5:45).
Indeed, every good gift is from His compassionate hand (Jas. 1:17) -- a compassion never ending,
always caring, always helping -- A compassion to hold dear to.
It ought to overwhelm us to think of the control or strength of God. When we think of
holding to God's hand we need to be aware of the strength and power that is in that hand.
Isaiah talked about God's strength and might as he wrote: "The nations are like one small drop
in a bucket; they are no more than the dust on his measuring scales. To him the islands are no
more than fine dust on his scales....Compared to the LORD all the nations are worth nothing;
to him they are less than nothing. Can you compare God to anything? ...Surely you know.
Surely you have heard. Surely from the beginning someone told you. Surely you understand how
the earth was created. God sits on his throne above the circle of the earth, and compared to
him, people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the skies like a piece of cloth and spreads
them out like a tent to sit under. He makes rulers unimportant and the judges of this world worth
nothing. They are like plants that are placed in the ground, like seeds that are planted. As soon
as they begin to grow strong, he blows on them and they die, and the wind blows them away
like chaff. God, the Holy One, says, "Can you compare me to anyone? Is anyone equal to me?"
Look up to the skies. Who created all these stars? He leads out the army of heaven one by one
and calls all the stars by name. Because he is strong and powerful, not one of them is
missing. ...Surely you know. Surely you have heard. The LORD is the God who lives forever,
who created all the world. He does not become tired or need to rest. No one can understand
how great his wisdom is. He gives strength to those who are tired and more power to those
who are weak" (Isa.40:15-30 NCV).
It is God with His mighty hand that freed the Israelites from Egyptian control
(Deut. 3:24, 5:15, 6:21, 7:8, 7:19, 9:26, 11:2, 26:8, Dan. 9:15). Remember the statement of
Jeremiah? "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great
power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You" (Jer. 32:17). But of most
importance, remember Isaiah's praise: "Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot
save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear" (Isa. 59:1). And, consider 1 Peter 5:6; "Humble
yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time." What an
awesome strength! What a never ending strength. You don't have a problem that is too big for
him to help with. A strength that will make us strong and hold us up.
Finally we notice the blessing of God's concern or sympathy. Not only is our God
powerful, He cares. He has a deep and abiding sympathy for us. He is interested in you as a
person. It doesn't matter how painful the event has been; God is there. He knows what it is like
to experience the death of a child, to see something you've put your heart into destroyed. No
wonder Peter could say: "Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." (1 Pet. 5:7).
As you chart Peter's life, you realize that he certainly knew what he was talking about as he penned
In John 10, Jesus spoke of the hireling who runs away because he does not care for the
sheep and then promised, "I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My
own" (Jn. 10:14). In Luke 12:30, He promised that God knows all of our needs. The Psalmist
sang out: "The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry"
(Psa. 34:15). And we sing: "Does Jesus care, when my heart is pained. Too deeply for mirth or
song...Oh, yes He cares, I know He cares, His heart is touched with my grief..I know my Savior
cares." In fact, over 100 times in Gods' word, He speaks of hearing the cries of his people. God
not only hears the cries, He is deeply sympathetic and concerned about us. No wonder Paul said:
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is the Father who is full of mercy
and all comfort. He comforts us every time we have trouble..." (2 Cor. 1:3-4 NCV). The times get
tough, the way gets hard, the falls come over and over again. Life has an endless supply of hurts
for us. God has an outstretched hand to wipe away our tears.
Benefits from Hold To God's Hand
Have you ever considered the benefits we receive as we hold His hand? I don't believe we
could exhaust the list, but we will notice three major ones.
Security: Home security systems are selling like hot cakes. A friend in marketing recently
told me that by the year 2,000, home security systems would be the number one door to door
selling item. Why? Fear! A small word that can turn your whole world upside down. Fear
comes in all shapes and sizes: fear of theft, fear of being alone, fear of death, fear of failure, fear
of the unknown, fear of everything. Fear lurks around the corner, but our God is a loving
Father, a security and assurance of safety. Look at Isaiah 41: "Fear not, for I am with you; Be
not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you
with My righteous right hand. Behold, all those who were incensed against you Shall be ashamed
and disgraced; They shall be as nothing, And those who strive with you shall perish. You shall
seek them and not find them; Those who contended with you. Those who war against you Shall
be as nothing, As a nonexistent thing. For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand,
Saying to you, 'Fear not, I will help you'" (Isa. 41:10-13).
Some people put their future in stocks and bonds, some in gold and silver, some in
relationships, some in power and prestige but, there is no human fortress we can build to protect
ourselves from fear. God is the only true source of protection.
Protection against fear. Some 63 times in the Bible that is God's word to His people,
"Fear not." Why is it that we get so upset and worried, God can handle whatever comes!
"...the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psa. 27:1).
Protection against failure. "Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law
of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the
rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And
whatever he does shall prosper" (Psa. 1:1-3)
Protection against famine. "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the
righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread" (Psa. 37:25).
God will give you a hand to hold through the fearful times of life.
Support: Remember the elderly man standing at his wife's bedside? Listen to the words
of the song: "When your journey is completed, if to God you have been true. Fair and bright
the home in glory, your enraptured soul will view." God will be with us to the bitter end. When
everyone else walks out, God walks in! I don't care how badly you have done, how many times
you have failed, He will still be there, urging you homeward! The beggar in Luke 16 was unknown
and unwanted by men, but "So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to
Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried" (Lk. 16:22). "...God is faithful,
who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also
make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it" (1 Cor. 10:13).
Most people need a boost, a fan club, someone rooting for them, the assurance that someone
is behind them. Jesus promised: "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
(Mt. 28:20). There is no one who is a better supporter of you. There is no one who is a better
friend. There is no one who is more on your side. He provides a hand to squeeze when times
are tough...and when they are good.
Strength or Help: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble"
(Psa. 46:1). "These two things cannot change: God cannot lie when he makes a promise,
and he cannot lie when he makes an oath. These things encourage us who came to God for
safety. They give us strength to hold on to the hope we have been given. We have this hope as
an anchor for the soul, sure and strong. It enters behind the curtain in the Most Holy Place in
We all face difficult days. As a wedding gift, a caring mother gave her daughter a framed
piece of paper with words the daughter composed when she was a young child: "Today we had
a test in history. I have to go to the dentist, too. We did not win the paper drive. This is the
worst day of my life." To these childish words, mama penned a caption: "May this always be
true!" God does not minimize the problems we face, but he assures us that in light of eternity,
they will become insignificant: "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for
us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Cor. 4:17). "For I consider that the
sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed
As we cross the valleys of life, God is there; we must seek his help. We pray with
Nehemiah, "Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands" (Neh. 6:9). God has not promised us
a perfect life here on earth, but He has promised a strength that will carry us through. A hand to
The Bond We Enter As We Hold To God's Hand
Finally, we must not forget the bond we enter into as we hold to God's hand. How do we hold
Have confidence in Him-Confidence: After all we have noticed, it is not surprising then that
we can have confidence in Him. But is it possible that some of us have forgotten? Little children
trust their dads; they believe they can do anything. But as we grow, often that bond breaks.
When our faith is young, it trusts God. We pray and believe He hears; we hurt and believe He's
near; we leap out and believe He'll provide the catch. Don't let that faith slip away. God is an
intimate God. Trust. We can hold to God's hand through each of lives difficulties and He will
be there for us. We can shout with Paul: "...I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have
believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that
Live a life of conviction-Conviction: Our country is drifting and so are many of God's People
because we have lost our moral bearings. Many no longer know what they believe. Know what
you believe and why you believe it. What you will stand for and what you will not. Have your
compass set. Know the direction you are planning to go. We must develop a conviction that holds
to what is right. In so many of these passages, it is when we cease to hold to God's hand that He,
too, releases the grip on us.
Accept His correction or discipline-Correction: We would each do well to read anew
God's words in Hebrews 12:6-13 and remember that God is allowing and bringing into our lives
the items needed to mature us and to discipline us. We, too, must see His love in doing this.
Consider that the weak horse, tamed and under control, can accomplish much more than the
mightiest with no discipline. The same is true for the servant of God. We are no weaker under
His control. Correction teaches us to obey. Let us not forget that as we have talked about God's
great love and compassion that: "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living
God" (Heb. 10:31). Beware of wanting His blessing, but not obeying His commands.
The truth of Theo-anthropomorphism is that God does have hands-our hands. No hands
but our hands. When we are compassionate, when we are busy in the Lord's work.. When we
hold the hands of others, we are Jesus to them. We can make a difference in this world, by
being God like. When we are not slothful in service (Rom.12:11) ...Created unto love (Eph. 2:10)
...not weary in well doing (Gal. 6:2) ...when we are steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding
in the work of the Lord (1 Cor. 15:58) ...then we will reap in due season and know that our labor
is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Cor 15:58).
Are people around you letting you down? Take His hand of commitment. Do you feel
unloved, unwanted or uncared for? Feel His hand of compassion. Are you weak and wonder
if you are able to go on? Grasp His mighty hand of strength. Do you feel sad, depressed?
Know His hand of sympathy. Are you afraid? Reach for His hand of security. Does the load
seem too heavy to carry? His hand will support you.
This day, He extends a hand to you, an outstretched hand, a nail scarred hand, a hand of
love; will you hold to God's unchanging hand?
Build your hopes on things eternal. Hold to God's unchanging hand.
