January 16, 2022
“Thus says the Lord,
The Holy One of Israel, and his Maker:
‘Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons;
And concerning the work of My hands, you command Me.’”
Isaiah 45:11. (NLT)
“So, I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the Hand of God.” Ecclesiastes 2:24 (NLT)
Are you sensitive to the move of God in your life? How can you recognize the Hand of God moving in your life? When was the last time you knew it was the Hand of God orchestrating the events of your life? There is joy when the Hand of God is working in and through your life!
The Hand of God is a phrase that is not speaking of a literal body part, it is symbolic of His guidance, instruction, and discipline. As Believers in Christ, the more we recognize the Hand of God, the better we will be able to follow His lead.
In several places in Scripture God is described as having the physical attributes of man. Remember God is spirit, not flesh and blood, but because we are not spirit, these anthropomorphisms help us to understand God’s nature and actions
The word anthropomorphism comes from two Greek words, anthropos, meaning “man,” and morphe, meaning “form.” In theological terms, anthropomorphism is making God in some way into the form of man. It is mostly the process of assigning human characteristics to God. Human traits and actions such as talking, holding, reaching, feeling, hearing, and the like, all of which are chronicled throughout both the Old and New Testaments, are ascribed to the Creator. We can read in Scripture of God’s actions, emotions, and appearance in human terms, in words we normally accept and associate with humans.
Some of the anthropomorphic terms are He “sets [his] face” against evil (Leviticus 20:6); the Lord will make “His face” to shine on you (Numbers 6:25); He “stretched out his hand” (Exodus 7:5; Isaiah 23:11), and God scattered enemies with His strong arm (Psalm 89:10). He “stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth” (Psalm 113:6). He “keeps his eye” on the land (Deuteronomy 11:12), the “eyes of the Lord” are on the righteous (Psalm 34:15), and the earth is His “footstool” (Isaiah 66:1). Do all these verses mean that God literally has eyes, a face, hands, and feet? Not necessarily.
How Can We Better Recognize The Hand of God Moving In Our Lives?
- We Must Know the Word of God For Ourselves. It is our Instruction Manual for Living this Christian Life! 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
- We Must Trust What God’s Word Says. There is nothing wrong with asking questions in a spirit of humility; however, we must trust what God says, in His Word. We make matters worse when we fight against the Hand of God by doubting His instruction and superiority of His plan for our lives. Many times, in our lives, we make an ordeal worse by not trusting and obeying God.
- We Must Interconnect with God Through Prayer and Praise. Through the study of God’s Word, a strong prayer life, praise and worship, and an abiding trust in God, we can learn to recognize, trust, and enjoy the Hand of God moving in our lives.
Some of the Ways “The Hand of God” Work in Our Lives 
♥ Everything good and perfect comes from The Hand of God. James 1:17
♥ Sometimes God withdraws His hand and allows bad things to happen to good people. Because His long-range eternal plans for our greater good may not fit our short-range view of comfort! Job 2:10
♥ The pleasure of God’s provision transcends the pleasure of the provisions themselves. For example, God’s gift of bread is far more pleasurable than the taste of bread itself. Ecclesiastes 2:24
♥ God works on behalf of His people in miraculous ways. Psalm 66:5
♥ God works through trials, miraculous signs, wonders, war, awesome power, and even terrifying acts. Deuteronomy 4:34
♥ Who but the Creator can control creation? Jeremiah 31:35
♥ God works to rescue and save His people. Daniel 6:27
AN ENLIGHTENED 
HEART: Psalm 40:5. “O LORD my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them.” (NLT). David expressed appreciation for the Lord’s innumerable and wonderful acts of deliverance (wonders). If he tried to speak of all the things God had planned for His own, they would be too numerous to tell.
FATHER GOD: Thank You for being a loving Father who affectionately guides us by Your Hand. Help us to always recognize Your hand moving in and through our lives so we will be better able to follow Your lead, in the Precious, Powerful, and Preeminent Name of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord, Amen!