Our Upper Hands

Many old and faithful songs are hidden in my heart’s storehouse. I can’t help myself from sharing them. This one was recorded by Anne Murray:

“Put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water.
Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea.
Take a look at yourself and you can look at others differently,
By putting your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee.”

Those upper hands. Those mighty hands. Those healing hands. Those hands are extended to us 24/7, so, yes, we have an upper hand. Peter wrote in 1 Peter 5:6 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God….”

That scripture was spoken by the new and improved Peter who was a changed man after Calvary. Peter, the one, who had the guts to get out of the boat and walk on water to Jesus. He failed his attempt because his eyes went to the storm-tossed sea, instead of to Jesus. But he was close enough to Jesus Whose hands pulled Peter up out of the waves to safety.

Peter knew those hands. He had seen those hands multiply a few loaves and fish to feed over 5,000. He had seen those hands heal the sick and raise the dead. He had seen those hands put back the ear of a soldier that he himself had cut off in his haste to protect the Master.

When Peter wrote: “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God…”, he was speaking from having been humbled by those mighty hands. Maybe you are overwhelmed by the storms that surround you. The same hands that calmed the stormy seas are the hands that you can reach out to in your distress!

I know the hands of God. Those hands represent the provision of God. I know He is the God Who comforts, heals, and restores. And the closer we are to Jesus, the sooner we’ll start walking on water.

That should be our posture – the posture of intimacy with our Lord. He should be our next breath and our next thought – especially during times of disappointment, loss, and anxiety.

When the enemy lies and makes us think we’re too far away from Jesus, we should remind him that we are in God’s grip!

It doesn’t matter about our ability. It is about surrendering and putting our hands in the mighty hands of God. It is humbling ourselves. As Peter cried out, we cry out: “Lord, save me”! And God replies: “Take my upper hand!”

“Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God.”