Touching the Hand of God

Eternity’s desire is pressed into each,

As God would have us, have us to teach,

What, we may ask, we should ask today,

What’s involved in going the Divine way?

Eternity’s desire is foundationally true,

To find us situated in a state where we grew,

To find us in a state where we’ve verily soared,

Because of that desire to touch the hand of the Lord.

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“If you have been bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, it will be one of the greatest assets to faith when the time of trial comes, because your faith and the Spirit of God will work together.”

— Oswald Chambers (1874–1917)

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IMAGES are enticing, salubrious, and generous in what they give. Imagine the state of heart and mind when it has pictured two hands coming together; fingertips just touching. If we can stretch our imaginations to observe a response in us where we extend our hand to meet the hand of the Lord, in an enthusiastic way, we have begun to encapsulate the sort of thinking that delights God.

As two hands approach each other – both equally willing to partner, one with the other – there is tremendous unity. These two hands assume a vital equality. But if we talk about the hand of God as it meets our hand, we have to assume an enormous power and holiness disparity – an essential inequality – a polar disconnect.

But then enters grace!

Grace enters a divine division, at our willingness to do the will of God. As God’s hand reaches out toward us – as it can be discerned as the Divine will – our loving response is to reach toward the Lord by our hand of obedience.

Our obedience is evidence of our spiritual growth. The level of our surrender before God regarding the doing of his will is commensurate with our level of spiritual maturity.

We cannot hope to be regarded as mature Christians if we are not discerning and doing the will of God – which is always relational.

As we continually focus our minds and hearts on Christ – bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ – reining in each temptation to depart as it comes – we make the ideal preparations for faith, for just the time it is required.

The ability to discern and do the will of God is the greatest asset we have when life gets deplorably difficult.

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Reaching into God in response to God’s reaching into us is a holy undertaking. It is the business of the Christian as they bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Reaching into God is about discerning and doing his will.

© 2014 S. J. Wickham.