01.22.06 PM Smyrna Assembly of God Pastor Shell Osbon
“The Hand Of God - Part 4”
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.”
Parts 1-3 Review
1. The Uniting Hand Of God
2 Chron 30:12 “The hand of God was on Judah to give them singleness of heart.
Brings people together for worship, service & fellowship!
2. The Providing Hand Of God
Ps 23:1 “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”
Guarantees that you will always have exactly what you need!
3. The Empowering Hand Of God
Neh 2:17 “Come & let us build the wall of Jerusalem.”
God will bring others along to help you fulfill His will!
4. The Protecting Hand Of God
Is 51:16 “I will keep you safe in the palm of My hand.”
Keeps you safe even when you’re facing your enemies!
5. The Correcting Hand Of God
Heb 12:6 “The Lord corrects the people He loves.”
Is designed to perfect you!
6. The Remembering Hand Of God
Is 49:16 “I have inscribed you in the palms of My hands.”
You will never be forgotten!
7. The Keeping Hand Of God
John 10:29 “No one is able to snatch My sheep out of My hand.”
Keeps you in His grace!
8. The Directing Hand Of God
Is 48:17 “I want to direct you in the way you should go.”
Directs our lives in the way that we should go!
9. The Mighty Hand Of God
Josh 4:24 “The hand of the Lord is mighty.”
Makes a way where there seems to be no way!
10. The Helping Hand Of God
1 Sam 7:12 “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
Helps you throughout all of your life!
11. The Warring Hand Of God
1 Sam 7:13 “The hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.”
Fights your battles so you don’t have to!
12. The Merciful Hand Of God
Ps 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life & I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Follows you every day of your life!
13. The Multiplying Hand Of God
Acts 11:21 “The hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.”
Builds His Church!
Part 4
14. The Strengthening Hand Of God
I don’t know how it’s worked in your life but in my life God rarely asks me to do anything that I can do in my own strength. In fact, I think He finds great pleasure in asking me to do things that are way beyond my own ability just to make sure that I depend on Him!
Ezra is the person called by God for the task of leading the Israelites to make a renewed commitment to God after having been held captive in Babylon for many years. He even gained the favor of Artaxerxes, Kking of Persia, who gave him the finances required for Ezra to refurnish the Temple after it was rebuilt.
The Israelites had been exiled for many years & Jerusalem had been destroyed once again. The task that God called Ezra to was absolutely overwhelming.
Ezra 7:28 says, “I was strengthened as the hand of the Lord my God was upon me.”
God will call you to do things that you can’t do in your own strength. But, He is able to put His strengthening hand on your life so that you can do whatever He has called you to do! If you will faithfully do what you can do, God will give you the strength to do what you cannot do on your own!
15. The Graceful Hand Of God
One of the greatest gifts that God has ever given to this world is grace. In fact, it is the graceful hand of God that brings us to the cross of Christ.
The Apostle Paul was called by God to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles, or non-Jews, & this was a huge task. God really favored Paul by allowing him to travel the known-world & build churches in many major cities.
2 Cor 12:7-9 says, 7“And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’”
God was using Paul in tremendous ways & obviously the Lord knew that he might struggle with arrogance or pride. As a result, God allowed “a messenger of satan” to attack his life in order to keep him humble.
Paul says that he prayed 3 times asking the Lord to remove this personal adversary. Instead, God tells him that He will give him the grace & strength that he needs to survive the attacks.
If God doesn’t deliver you from every enemy that you face, then you need to realize that He will give you the grace that you need to endure!
Rom 5:20 says, “Where sin abounds grace much more abounds.”
If you stacked up all the sin of all the people in all the world, God’s grace would stack up higher than that!
16. The Healing Hand Of God
Healing is a very prominent miracle in the Bible throughout both the Old & New Testaments. God has always been very concerned about the physical well being of His creation.
Mark 5:22,23 says, 22“The leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, came and fell down before him, 23pleading with him to heal his little daughter. ‘She is at the point of death,’ he said in desperation. ‘Please come and place your hands on her and make her live.’”
Jairus was a leader in the Jewish synagogue & he knew that his daughter could be healed if Jesus were to lay his hands on her.
Luke 13:10-13 says, 10“Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. 12But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, ‘Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.’ 13And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.”
This lady had been sick for 18 years. She had probably been to a lot of doctors but she was still sick. But the moment that Jesus laid His hands on her, she was instantly healed!
Mark 16:17,18 Jesus says, 17“And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Conclusion
1. The Uniting Hand Of God - brings us together!
2. The Providing Hand Of God - meets our needs!
3. The Empowering Hand Of God - enables you to do what He calls you to do!
4. The Protecting Hand Of God - keeps you safe at all times!
5. The Correcting Hand Of God - makes you better!
6. The Remembering Hand Of God - keeps your face before Him at all times!
7. The Keeping Hand Of God - preserves you forever!
8. The Directing Hand Of God - keeps you on the right path!
9. The Mighty Hand Of God - gives you great victory!
10. The Helping Hand Of God - comes to your rescue!
11. The Warring Hand Of God - fights your battles!
12. The Merciful Hand Of God - follows you everyday!
13. The Multiplying Hand Of God - builds His church!
14. The Strengthening Hand Of God - is perfected in your weakness
15. The Graceful Hand Of God - is sufficient for your trials!
16. The Healing Hand Of God - brings health to your body!
