What Is God’s Hand?

What Is God’s Hand?

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

“But now, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our potter; and all we are the work of Your hand.” Isa. 64:8.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Rom. 8:28.

We see that it is in God’s plan to exalt us. Jesus took upon Himself the form of a servant. Then He humbled Himself and was obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross—the most despised death in Israel.

Antichrist, the man of sin, the son of perdition, is the one “who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” 2 Thess. 2:3-4.

Here we see two ways, and we must go on one of them. There is no in-between way. People live in such a manner that they want to jump from the one way to the other. Then they have not completely surrendered their lives to God; they are not clay in God’s hand and they will not become God’s workmanship.

If you have given yourself completely to God, you are under God’s hand, and He watches over you. Then all things will serve you for your good. 1 Cor. 10:13.

Pride is the sin of Satan. We find pride in people as well as in animals. We read that Satan tempted Eve to be proud. Therefore we must be prepared to humble ourselves for the rest of our life so we can be thoroughly cleansed from the consequences of the fall—our human nature. If we do not understand God’s work with us we will fall short of the grace of God and a bitter root will spring up. Heb. 12:15.

When you feel that some of the things you meet are humiliating, then you do not see God’s hand; you only see people and their sin or their lack of understanding. Or you believe that Satan judges you and has entered into the other person.

When we have to humble ourselves we sense that it leads to sufferings in the flesh. If a person has done something wrong or unwise, he tries to whitewash it the best he can. Consequently there is as little cleansing as possible. When he feels that something is humiliating, it proves that he does not have the necessary humility; yet God’s hand is working with him to bring about a deeper cleansing.

Think! and you will see that a lack of humility is the cause of all strife and unrest. Only a few people rejoice over the fact that God’s hand is working with them to purify them. People pray for God’s blessing and His help for what they want. If God answers their prayers, they see God’s hand and guidance, and they like to speak about it.

People are apt to experience great inner turmoil if God’s hand is working with them for purification through humiliation, and subsequently they seek comfort and sympathy from people. However, we are to find our comfort in Jesus who has consecrated the new way to exaltation by humbling Himself. Phil. 2:1.