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Pastor Chris White says to all of you: HELLO MY FRIENDS. May the Lord bless you today.
HOLA MIS AMIGOS. Que el Señor los bendiga.
Several
Scriptures describe the hand of God moving and guiding people (1 Samuel 5:11; 2 Chronicles 30:12; Job 19:21; 27:11; Ecclesiastes 2:24; 9:1). These passages do not mean that God
literally has a hand. The Bible declares that God is spirit (John 4:24), that He does not, in His essence,
have a physical form. However, this does not mean that God is incapable of
taking on a physical form; numerous times in Scripture God does take a physical
form. The hand of God is not speaking of a literal body part. Rather, just as a
father lovingly guides and patiently disciplines a child with his hand, so are
we guided by the hand of God.
The moving of the hand of God seems to be one area in which the saying
“hindsight is 20/20” is particularly true. Often when we are going through a
difficult or confusing time, we are unaware of how God is guiding us. Years
later it becomes very clear why God brought us through that experience the way
He did. Looking back, the hand of God can be clearly seen moving, guiding,
protecting, etc. A time of trial is rarely enjoyable. At the same time, there
are many instances where a trial or struggle is looked upon as the most
meaningful spiritual time in a person’s life. This is why James exhorts us to
“consider it pure joy” (James 1:2) when we
encounter various trials, because they are immensely valuable to our spiritual
lives.
How can we better recognize the hand of God moving in our lives? First, we must
familiarize ourselves with God’s Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17), which tells us about who
God is and what He does. Similar to how an instruction manual helps us to
understand a particular device, so reading God’s Word helps us to understand
how God works and how we should respond to Him. Second, we must communicate with
God through prayer. We can ask God for wisdom (James 1:5). We can ask God to help us
recognize, and submit to, His hand. We can thank Him for how His hand has
guided us. We can ask Him to help us learn His lesson, in His time, for
whatever time His hand is bringing us through.
Third, we must trust God. Just as a son often rebels against the guidance of
his father—not trusting his judgment or not accepting his discipline—so do we
often fight against the hand of God: “Why did You allow this? Why must I
do that? Is there not another way?” While it is not wrong to ask these
questions in a spirit of humility, it is wrong to doubt God’s goodness or the
quality of His plan. Many times in our lives, we make an ordeal worse by not
trusting and obeying God and by not quickly learning the intended lesson.
The hand of God is a symbol of God’s guidance, instruction, and discipline. The
more we recognize the hand of God, the better we will be able to follow His
lead. Through the study of God’s Word, a strong prayer life, and an abiding
trust in God, we can learn to recognize, trust, and enjoy the hand of God
moving in our lives.
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