July 30, 2004 Friday
The Hand of God

"For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is
stretched out still." (Isaiah 5:25, 9:12, 9:17, 9:21, 10:4)

God tells us through His Word that His hands have been extended toward all of mankind...to bless, save, and redeem...or to punish, judge, and cast away. He holds a rod in His hand with which He delivers lost sheep and yet also smites the unrepentant...with one touch He can either heal or destroy. "The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him." (Ezra 8:22) Our opinions today of seeking God aren't what they should be. People call themselves "seekers", yet they condemn themselves through their own words...we ought to be something far more than a "seeker", God's will is that we become a "striver". Jesus said, "STRIVE to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will SEEK to enter in, and shall not be able." (Luke 13:24) "Seekers" may have a desire, but the "striver" possess something far greater, they possess a passion for Christ which leads them to run and fight with all that they are straight into His hands of mercy. (See 2 Samuel 24:14) To strive is to exert with all of one's strength in order to win a battle or fulfill a given charge. Our strife lies within ourselves, in that our very flesh wants to run away from the harbor His Almighty hand of safety and straight into the flames of destruction. Human nature is satisfied with a mere desire, but when we allow God to grip our lives with His hand He will turn our desires into an authentic reality. "Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me...and they said, Let us rise up and build." (Nehemiah 2:18) His hand is stretched out to each of us, but only until we extend ourselves towards Him will we too be able to tell others "of the hand of my God which was good upon me" and become a tool in His hand that would cause other people to develop a passion that far outweighs the mere desire....and to "rise up and build". If you lack the passion remember that "his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still." His anger abides, but his grace is available, which will you choose?