In His Hands

During a reading lesson one day last week, one of my students wanted to talk about God. He said, “I think God holds us in his hands like one of those balls with the falling down snow inside.” Here, he cupped his hands and drew them near his face, peering into his imaginary globe. “I think God can put His face up close and see everything that goes on in there,” he said.

Touched by the faith that enabled this child to conceptualize God’s involvement in the lives of those He loves, I thought about my own perception of God’s presence with me. I realized that what I believe can be stated pretty much as my little student said it; I believe everything is in God’s hands and that there is no safe harbor apart from Him. Other human beings will let us down, even those who love us the most and who are most dependable. They fall prey to human frailty, perhaps through becoming so involved in their own pain that they can't see ours, or through betrayal, or they get sick; and sometimes they die and leave us all alone.

I believe that God alone loves perfectly and with sovereign power that enables Him to use even those circumstances that seem disastrous to me for my blessing. I can trust Him for myself and I can entrust those I love into His capable Hands. He won't let me down. He won't let them down. He can be depended upon to bring forth beauty and blessing from the ashes of human failure and disappointment.

I believe God puts His face up close to mine and sees everything that goes on in my mind, my heart, and my world; and that he holds me safely in His hands.

Scripture: “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you” (Jeremiah 32:17 NIV).