The thought running through my head lately: “I know not what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future.” The hand that holds my future is no ordinary hand. It is:
Everlasting: “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” (Deut. 33:27)
Guiding: “He leadeth me in paths of righteousness.” (Ps 23:3) “Thy hand shall lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.” (Ps. 139:10)
Incapable of weakening: “Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness…” (Is. 50:2) “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save.” (Is. 59:1)
Never releasing: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I gave unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” (Jn 10:27-28)
Pain inflicting when necessary: “Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.” (Ps. 51:8)
Suffering relieving: “All they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.” (Lk. 4:40) “And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be though clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” (Mt. 8:3)
Life restoring: “[He] took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. And her spirit came again…” (Lk 8:54)
Receiving and blessing the unwanted: “[Jesus] said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God… And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.” (Mk 10:14,16)
Vicariously dying: “Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.” (Is. 49:16) “He shewed unto them his hands and his side.” (Jn 20:20)
Perpetual joy giving: “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Ps. 16:11)
“See now that I, even I am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.” (Deut. 32:39) Both the enemies of God and the elect of God are “trapped” in His hand. To the condemned, this realisation may give rise to terror, but to the chosen, this truth brings security.
The hand that holds my future, is an everlasting hand, a hand that will never let me go, a hand that leads me, a hand that cannot be weakened. This hand both inflicts pain and grants healing. This hand reaches beyond the threshold of death to restore life. This hand takes hold of the unwanted and blesses them. This hand was not only wounded for me, but died for me. And in its resurrection and eternal life, it’s continual presence instigates perpetual joy. How trustworthy is His hand!