God Wants To Hold Your Hand

Whether or not you are, or were, a Beatles fan, at one time, or, more probably, many times, you have heard the song, “I Want To Hold Your Hand.”

“Oh yeah, I’ll tell you somethin’

I think you’ll understand

When I say that somethin’

I want to hold your hand

I want to hold your hand

I want to hold your hand.”

Infinitely better than that is that God wants to hold your hand! He said, ‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will up hold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (NASB).

Hands serve some special needs. Hand are useful for grasping things, carrying peanuts from jar to jaw, opening pickle jars, and many other things, some good and some bad. Think about the hands of a pianist; the hands of a carpenter; the hands of a surgeon; the hands of a blacksmith – all trained and prepared for special work.

But today let’s consider just three things God does with His hands.

First we will read our text: “ And they came to Bethsaida. And they brought a blind man to Jesus and implored Him to touch him. Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, "Do you see anything?" And he looked up and said, "I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around." Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly.” Mark 8:22-25 (NASB)

1. HE LOVES US WITH HIS HANDS:

a. The text demonstrates the love Jesus had for the blind man. He was moved by compassion at the request of his friends who brought him to Jesus and Jesus was moved by the man’s plight. Look at some of the other ways and times when He showed love with His hand:

i. When Jesus met the blind or lame or demon posed or even the leprous, his touch was healing. One leper came to Him and bowed down before Him, and said, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” Matthew 8:2-3 (NASB).

ii. When Jesus came into Peter’s home, He saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. “He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she got up and waited on Him.” Matthew 8:14-15 (NASB).

iii. He expressed love through the touch of Hs hands.

b. A touch can express love in a way words cannot. Bear with me while I tell you again about a gentle touch of love. I was in the Childers’ Barn helping with the raspberry harvest and sales. I was having one of my Parkinson’s bad days. I felt like I had died and nobody had buried me. As I was seated a few feet behind the counter a family came in to u-pick. Their little girl walked through the door and without hesitation she immediately came behind the counter with a definite purpose. She walked right over to where I was seated. Without a word, she laid her little hand on my shoulder and smiled at me. I smiled at her and asked, “Did you want anything?” She smiled and said, “No” and walked away Later they came in to pay for their berries and I asked the little girl how old she was and she said, “Three.” I asked her for her name and was blown away when she said, “Grace.” Not only was she named Grace, but to me, in that low moment, she was grace embodied. Some say, “Pfff. What’s so great about that?” Let me say, “You be in a purple funk and have a tiny little girl put her tiny hand on your shoulder and smile at you and then tell me it is no big deal.” Her touch was grace to me- it brought me a feeling of being loved.

c. The song by Michael Combs said,

“That same hand that formed the mountains

That same hand that made the sea

That same hand that stilled the fountains<

That same hand reached down to me.”

d. Think about it:

i. When something happened to break your heart, despite the fact that we thought life would never be good, how comforting was the loving hand of your mother or father?

ii. And what about those times when human touch was inadequate? Did you sense His hand touching you? Once my mother was in the hospital given about 24 hours to live. I had to leave for an hour or so and when I stepped into the elevator, I was engulfed in warm joy and peace and an assurance she would live. When I returned, she was sitting up in bed and I was told that she had coughed and said, “I feel so much better now.” We took her home and she lived a few more years. The loving hand of God had touched her with healing and me with hope!