The Hand Of God - Part 3 Series

01.15.06 PM Smyrna Assembly of God Pastor Shell Osbon

“The Hand Of God - Part 3”

Ecclesiastes 9:1

Eccl 9:1 Solomon says, “For I considered all this in my heart, so that I could declare it all, that the righteous & the wise & their works are in the hand of God.”Intro

Solomon tells us that he’s taken a lot of time to think about this before he wrote it down. He’s come to the conclusion that the hand of God was an important factor in his life. He goes on to say that “the righteous, the wise & their works are in the hand of God.”

Part 1 & Part 2 Review

1. The Uniting Hand Of God

The uniting hand of God brings people together for worship, service & fellowship who have previously been divided!

2. The Providing Hand Of God

The providing hand of God guarantees that you will not have anything lacking!

3. The Empowering Hand Of God

The empowering hand of God will cause other people to join with you in order to accomplish what He wants done!

4. The Protecting Hand Of God

The protecting hand of God is able to keep you safe even when you’re facing your enemies!

5. The Correcting Hand Of God

The correcting hand of God is not designed to destroy you but to perfect you! He isn’t looking to get even with you over some things you’ve done. He wants you to get over some things that you’ve done!

6. The Remembering Hand Of God

The remembering hand of God has your picture engraved in it & He will never forget you!

7. The Keeping Hand Of God

The hand of God is able to keep you from every one that would try to remove you from His hand!

8. The Directing Hand Of God

Whether you want to admit it or not, most of us aren’t capable of directing our lives in the way that we should go! That’s where the hand of God comes in!

Part 3

9. The Mighty Hand Of God

Israel is at the threshold of stepping into The Promised Land & Joshua gives them some very specific instructions that will bless the Israelites for the generations to come.

Joshua tells them to take 12 stones with them as they crossed the Jordan River. They were to stack them up as an altar to remind all future generations that God had given them great favor by drying up the Jordan River so that they could walk across on dry ground.

Josh 4:21-24 says, 21“When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ 22then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land; 23for the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, 24that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.’”

Joshua wanted every generation of Israelites to know about the favoring hand of God. He had an altar of stones set up to tell everybody that walked by that way that God’s hand of favor had been upon them!

10. The Helping Hand Of God

1 Sam 7:8-12 says, 8“The children of Israel said to Samuel, ‘Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.’ 9And Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. Then Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. 10Now as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the Lord thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel. 11And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and drove them back as far as below Beth Car. 12Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us.’”

Israel is in the process of repenting for their sinfulness & Samuel is offering up a sacrifice to the Lord as part of their worship. Right in the middle of their church service, the Philistines decide to attack them.

Don’t be surprised if the devil tries to attack you while you’re in the middle of a church service! That’s the perfect opportunity for him to try to consume your mind with things other than hearing from God!