The Hand of the Lord

Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God.  And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him (Luke 1:57-66).

John was born to a couple too old and to a mother too barren. His father’s obedience was immediately rewarded with a miracle of divine healing. But when the talk died down, something else continued to mark this child as special. As he grew up, John’s life was blessed by something this is to be desired by all serious disciples of Christ, the hand of the Lord.

The hand of the Lord prospers God’s chosen. The Old Testament records several examples of the hand of the Lord identifying individuals as His chosen prophets. The Lord’s hand enabled Elijah to outrun King Ahab’s chariot… “And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah, and he gathered up his garment and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel” (1 Kings 18:46). The Lord’s hand gave Ezra favor before King Artaxerxes to be the leader of a great revival and the rebuilding of Jerusalem… “This Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses that the LORD, the God of Israel, had given, and the king granted him all that he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was on him” (Ezra 7:6). The Spirit inspired Luke to record that the hand of the Lord was with John. Luke was moved later to record Jesus teaching that the same hand of the Lord was available to any disciple that would surrender to the call to serve God… “I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (Luke 7:28). Are you seeking and trusting God’s hand to prosper you as you are fully engaged in His work?

The hand of the Lord protects God’s children. The Teacher is clear throughout God’s Word that His hand works for those who serve and trust Him and against those who oppose Him… “The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him” (Ezra 8:22). The Spirit echoes this truth through the pen of the Apostle Paul… “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). John would encounter much opposition as he answered the call to prepare the way for Jesus, but the hand of the Lord would guarantee his safety until the mission was completed. It is the protection of God’s hand that should embolden us to stand confidently in the presence of our enemies… “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). It is the power of God’s hand that makes us more than conquerors over His enemies… “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). Where do you need to stop fighting your enemies and trust in the protection of God’s hand?

The hand of the Lord empowers God’s Church. Like Elijah, John the Baptist experienced the power of God’s hand on his ministry… “He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared” (Luke 1:17). The disciples experienced the same power as they were obedient to the great commission… “And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord” (Acts 11:21). Are you seeing others turn to Christ through the power of God’s hand as you share the gospel?

As we grow up into Christ He prospers, protects, and empowers us as our lives reflect…

The Hand of the Lord.