4. The Hand of God provides security.
We are talking about eternal security here.
I was visiting in Devonport road and knocked on the door. A man who introduced himself as an Insurance agent came to the door. Insurance agents usually are great sales people. He was very full on and friendly. He asked me. What do you do? I said, I’m the minister at St. Enoch’s I talk to people about eternal assurance – thinking to myself “This will get him going.” Well he replied large as life. You are just like me – I talk to people about Life Insurance also. I replied – no not Life insurance – I help people get eternal assurance. And besides its Free!
We must realize all the promises of security by the world are in fact temporary. We watch television seeing heart-rendering accounts of tragedies. All of us have friends who have lost sons, daughters, parents in terrible accidents. There are reports of wars, earthquakes, and home invasions. It reminds us we aren’t the masters of the universe. All the promises of security firms (a Growth industry) and analysis of science cannot give permanent security. Only God can give that. Only as we commit our way to the Lord can we relax in our heart because this security means that no matter what happens; For good or bad, and tragedies happen to Christians - nothing, but nothing will separate us from God’s Love. Because of the Cross.
See this security is a corollary of the fact that the hand of God guides. The Bible says “commit your way to the Lord and He will direct your paths” I really do believe in the providential guidance of God. See, it makes sense to me. If God knows the end from the beginning, if God knows the future and in fact history is in his hands. And if it is true that His plans for us are for good and not evil and Jesus wants the best for our lives – then it makes sound logical sense to seek and submit to His guidance. I can’t tell the future so it’s better to place my life into the hand of someone who does. And that’s God. Yes, sometimes God’s ways are perplexing, even confusing to me, especially when I want my way, or suffer the death of a loved one. But in the end I believe we will be able to look back with a fuller understanding and see the hand of God guiding. We will see the other side of the rug that the Lord is weaving in our life. That indeed,
“All things do work together for good for those who Love God and have been called according to His purpose.”
In the mean time it takes trust in the waiting for all to be made clear.
Can you do that, looking back over your life? Can you see God’s guiding hand, bringing you through?
Brendan, a Celtic missionary, could abandon himself into Gods hands.
Shall I abandon, O King of Mysteries, the soft comforts of home?
(Hey it is not as if he had a Lazy Boy, T.V. and central heating in the north of Ireland in the 6th Century.)
Shall I turn my back on my native land, and my face towards the sea?
Shall I put myself wholly at the mercy of God, without silver, without a horse, without fame and honour? Shall I throw myself wholly on the King of kings, without sword and shield, without food and drink, without a bed to lie on?
Shall I say farewell to my beautiful land, placing myself under Christ’s yoke? Shall I pour out my heart to him, confessing my manifold sins and begging forgiveness, tears streaming down my cheeks?
Shall I leave the prints of my knees on the sandy beach, a record of my final prayer in my native land? Shall I then suffer every kind of wound that the sea can inflict?
Shall I take my tiny coracle across the wide, sparkling ocean?
O King of the Glorious Heaven, shall I go of my own choice upon the sea?
O Christ, will you help me on the wild waves?
Today there is a new quest for security – more and more people are planning, investing for their retirement, worrying about the future. Moving into Gated Villages. But Armourguard can’t guard you against death.
For the Christian the old saying is true.
Underneath are the everlasting arms. They are everlasting, they never cease to give security in this world and the next.
3 For the LORD is the great God,
the great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth,
and the mountain peaks belong to him.
5 The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.
6 Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
7 for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care.
… WE are the sheep of his hand.
Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd” and again “They shall never perish, neither shall anything pluck them out of my hand. This security means a solid companion through life and a certain destination at the end. This is mega security.
You and I are being held in the Hand of God. Nothing can pluck us out.
