THE HAND OF GOD

Exploring the Mighty Things His Hand Can Do

What comes to your mind when you hear “the Hand of the Lord”—a mighty, big hand? I mean a human hand, but a massive-sized one?

Technically, we could be forgiven for thinking this way, because the Bible gives us some incredible descriptions of God.

Isaiah gives us this extraordinary picture of God:

“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?” (Isaiah 40:12 NIV).

Think about that image for a moment: the waters of the earth in the hollow of His hand. That’s water—oceans, seas, streams—in all the different parts of the world, all in His hand.

Then Isaiah gives us another picture: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool” (Isaiah 66:1 NIV).

It sounds massive and magnificent—the whole earth, inhabited by billions of people, is His footstool. Then God's leg must be massive—so big that the whole earth supports His feet while He is sitting.

And then there is this incredible description in Nahum: “His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet” (Nahum 1:3 NIV).

Imagine that! Those massive clouds we see in the sky are described as only the dust of His feet.

So yes, the Bible gives us an enormous picture of God.

But when Scripture talks about the Hand of the Lord, it means much more than the physical size of a hand. It speaks about His presence, His power, His strength and His intervention in the affairs of people.

Throughout Scripture, we see expressions such as the Hand of the Lord was upon him, the Hand of the Lord was with them, or the Hand of the Lord was against them.

When His Hand was against people, they experienced His judgment.

But when His Hand was upon or with His people for good, extraordinary things happened.

The Psalmist celebrates the power of that Hand:

“The LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!

The LORD’s right hand is lifted high;

the LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!”

(Psalm 118:15–16 NIV)

Because when the Hand of the Lord comes upon a person, things happen.

People receive unusual favour. Doors open. Resources become available. Helpers

appear. People receive strength beyond their natural ability. They are protected from enemies. They receive insight, direction and revelation.

“So today, perhaps what we need is to ask for the Hand of the Lord to rest on us for the miraculous to manifest in our lives.

Come, let’s explore what it means to have the Hand of the Lord upon you.

7 THINGS THE HAND OF GOD CAN DO FOR US

1. The Hand of the Lord Brings Favour, Opens Doors and Provides Resources

Nehemiah’s life is a good example of how blessed a person can be when the Hand of God is upon them.

Some background: Nehemiah had a vision to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, which, by all accounts, was a difficult project that required enormous resources to accomplish. He needed the help of kings and men for resources and protection. He also faced serious opposition from people who did not want him to rebuild the wall.

Nehemiah found favour with the king when he requested permission to go to Jerusalem.

The king not only gave him permission to leave, but also gave him letters for safe passage and wrote to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, authorizing him to provide timber for the gates, the wall and the house Nehemiah would occupy.

Nehemiah saw God’s Hand behind the favour he received. He said the king granted his requests “because the gracious hand of my God was on me” (Nehemiah 2:8 NIV).

He needed timber. It was provided.

He needed authorization. It was provided.

He needed protection for the journey, and the king even sent army officers and cavalry with him (Nehemiah 2:9).

We see the same thing in the life of Ezra.

Ezra was preparing to travel to Jerusalem to teach and administer the law of God. He needed the support and authorization of the king, and “the king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was on him” (Ezra 7:6 NIV).

Indeed, the king’s extensive support showed the favour Ezra received. The letter the king gave Ezra is remarkable. Artaxerxes instructed the treasurers in the region to provide “whatever Ezra the priest…may ask of you” (Ezra 7:21 NIV). The list included silver, wheat, wine, olive oil and salt (Ezra 7:22).

Whatever he needed.” Amazing—what an open door!

In both stories, a king was in a position to open doors that Nehemiah and Ezra could not open for themselves.

And in both stories, they looked beyond the king and recognized that the Hand of God did it.

The Bible confirms that even the hearts of kings are within God's reach because “in the LORD’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him” (Proverbs 21:1 NIV).

Indeed, the Hand of the Lord can cause men and kings—people with power—to favour you.

2. The Hand of the Lord Brings Helpers

Nehemiah did not rebuild Jerusalem’s wall alone. The vision may have been placed in his heart, but he needed people to accomplish it.

When Nehemiah shared the vision and told the people about the gracious Hand of God upon him, they responded, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work (Nehemiah 2:18 NIV).

Men of different trades and positions responded—priests, rulers, craftsmen, merchants, families and ordinary people took responsibility for different portions of the wall.

Ezra experienced something similar.

As he prepared for the journey to Jerusalem, Ezra realized that there were no Levites among the people gathered with him. He needed people qualified to serve in the house of God, so he sent for them.

And Ezra tells us that “because the gracious hand of our God was on us, they brought us Sherebiah, a capable man” and others who would serve with them (Ezra 8:18 NIV).

He needed people.

God sent people.

When the Hand of the Lord is upon us, helpers can show up.

3. The Hand of the Lord Brings Strength

There were moments when Nehemiah faced deliberate attempts to weaken and discourage him.

His enemies understood that if they could weaken the people, perhaps the work would stop. They used threats, intimidation and rumours to frustrate their efforts.

Nehemiah understood exactly what they were trying to accomplish. They were trying to frighten them, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.” So Nehemiah prayed, “Now strengthen my hands” (Nehemiah 6:9 NIV).

God did just that.

Despite the opposition, the wall was completed.

Ezra also explicitly connected the strength for his assignment with the Hand of God. After recognizing how God had moved the heart of the king and extended favour to him, Ezra said, “Because the hand of the LORD my God was on me, I took courage” (Ezra 7:28 NIV).

Then consider Elijah.

Perhaps one of the most dramatic pictures of what can happen when the Hand of the Lord comes upon a person is found in his story.

There had been no rain in Israel for years. Elijah told Ahab that rain was coming and instructed him to leave in his chariot before the rain stopped him.

Soon the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, and heavy rain began to fall.

Then something extraordinary happened: “The power of the LORD came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel” (1 Kings 18:46 NIV).

Ahab had a chariot.

Elijah was running on foot.

Yet Elijah ran ahead.

When the Hand of the Lord came upon Elijah, he received strength beyond ordinary human ability.

The Hand of the Lord can strengthen us for what ordinarily appears beyond our capacity.

4. The Hand of the Lord Gives Discernment and Insight

Nehemiah needed more than money and manpower.

He needed discernment.

His enemies were constantly plotting against him and the work. At one point, their plan to attack Jerusalem became known and Nehemiah recognized that “God had frustrated their plot” (Nehemiah 4:15 NIV).

Later came an even more subtle attack.

Shemaiah warned Nehemiah that people were coming to kill him and suggested that they meet inside the temple and shut the doors.

On the surface, it sounded like advice intended to save his life.

But Nehemiah refused.

Then he realized what was really happening: “I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him” (Nehemiah 6:12 NIV).

What an important lesson.

Not every prophecy is from God.

Not every suggestion that sounds like protection is actually intended for our good.

Nehemiah needed discernment to recognize the difference. So do we when we need to make a decision and something looks good on the surface.

5. The Hand of the Lord Brings Revelation and Direction

We see another manifestation of the Hand of God in the life of Elisha.

When the kings approached Elisha seeking a word from God, Elisha called for a musician, and “while the harpist was playing, the hand of the LORD came on Elisha” (2 Kings 3:15 NIV).

Then Elisha received and delivered the word of the Lord.

But perhaps no one uses the expression more strikingly than Ezekiel.

Again and again Ezekiel tells us that the Hand of the Lord was upon him."

At one point, “the hand of the LORD was on me there, and he said to me, ‘Get up and go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you’” (Ezekiel 3:22 NIV).

The Hand of God gave him direction: “Get up and go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you.”

Sometimes we need more than strength.

We need to be led in the right direction—to know what to do, where to go and what God wants us to do.

6. The Hand of the Lord Provides Protection and Deliverance

Ezra gives us one of the clearest examples of this.

He was preparing for a dangerous journey to Jerusalem and had already told the king that “the gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him” (Ezra 8:22 NIV).

Having made that declaration, Ezra was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect them from enemies on the journey.

So they fasted and prayed.

Then they travelled.

And afterward, Ezra could testify that “the hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way” (Ezra 8:31 NIV).

7. The Hand of the Lord Can Open Doors to Greater Responsibility

When we first meet Nehemiah, he simply tells us, “I was cupbearer to the king” (Nehemiah 1:11 NIV).

This was already a trusted position. Nehemiah had access to the king and was sufficiently close to him that the king noticed when something was wrong with him.

But later Nehemiah tells us that he “had been appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah” and served in that position for twelve years (Nehemiah 5:14 NIV).

The cupbearer became governor.

The man who began the story serving the king eventually became the man entrusted with governing Judah. What a remarkable journey!

The Hand of God can open doors that lead to greater responsibility, influence and opportunities to serve.

ASK FOR THE HAND OF THE LORD

So what can the Hand of the Lord do for us?

Nehemiah needed favour, resources, helpers, discernment and strength.

Ezra needed favour, resources, helpers and protection.

Elijah needed supernatural strength.

Elisha needed revelation.

Ezekiel needed direction and divine encounters.

“ Different people. Different needs. The same Hand.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU?

Our prayer today can simply be:

“Lord, let Your Hand be upon me.”

Let Your Hand be upon me as I go for this interview, as I enter this meeting, as I make this difficult decision, as I begin this project, as I submit this application, as I make this request, as I pursue this opportunity, and as I step into this new responsibility.

Let Your Hand be upon my children—in their studies, their friendships, their decisions, their opportunities and wherever life takes them.

Give me favour. Bring the right people. Provide the resources. Give me discernment, direction, protection and strength.

Whatever is before you, ask for the Hand of the Lord to be upon you.

Because if the same Hand that measured the waters in its hollow can rest upon us, the results can cause people to look at our lives and say, “See what God has done!” (Numbers 23:23 NIV).

REFLECTION

Meditate on Paul’s prayer in Ephesians and ask God to give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you may know Him better, and that “the eyes of your heart may be enlightened” to understand the power and authority in the Hand of the Lord—the “incomparably great power” that raised Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:17–20 NIV).

God bless you. Have a lovely afternoon!