You are God's precious and beloved!

If you feel like you are not good enough or not successful enough in your life, you need to hear this. The Lord loves you and the Lord accepts you. You are not a failure in His eyes. You are the apple of His eyes. It means you are precious to Him and He has great love towards you. Don't let anyone or the devil talk you out of this. 

Remember this: The Lord loves you and the Lord accepts you. It's not about what you do or what's your 'performance' in your life, but it's about who you are in Him. You know why? Because the Lord doesn't measure success the way the world measures success. You see, the world measures success by these: fame, position, money. In other words, how much money you have, how famous you are, how many social media followers you have, what is your position in the society, what is your social status, how many big houses or big cars you have, etc. But you know what? The Lord sees inside of you. The Lord sees the heart. Just look at the twelve disciples that Jesus chose. He didn't choose His disciples using the criteria of fame, position, or money. If He did that, many of these disciples would have failed these criteria. 

Therefore beloved of God, be encouraged. You are precious in His eyes. God loves you. This is what the Lord wants to tell you at this time. And no matter what your age may be, and what situation you are in at the moment, look to the Lord. Remember this: You are not useless. You are precious in His eyes. You are His beloved. You are made righteous through your faith in Him. In fact, you have been forgiven of all your sins. You are cleansed and you are made holy through the blood of Jesus shed for you on the cross. 

Always give thanks to the Lord. You see, no one may understand what exactly you are going through, but He understands. He sees everything. He knows you inside out. 

So, open your heart, and lift up your hands before the Lord. Give yourself entirely to the Lord all over again. Yes, He can even use your hands, as you lift up your hands before Him. 

The Lord says: "Lift up your hands, for I am touching your hands. I am anointing your hands for My glory. I am releasing My power through your hands. Use your hands to bless! Use your hands as the extension of My hands!" 

Not only the Lord sees you as His precious, He's also inviting you to dedicate your hands to Him right now. Let your hands be cleansed and be washed by the Lord. Yes, the Lord wants to bless you - from top to toe; spirit, soul, body; mind, will, emotions. But today the Lord specifically says He wants to touch your hands. 

Psalm 134:2 says, 'Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.' It means to lift up your hands in His presence. Wherever you are now, He is here with you. You see, we can worship Him with our hands lifted, and not just in songs and singing. When you lift up your hands before Him, it is a sign of worship. And to worship is to surrender, to submit to Him, to yield to Him. As you lift up your hands, you are also blessing His holy name, just as what this psalmist wrote here. 

You see, the Lord created our hands not just for manual work, but as instruments of worship and channels of His blessing. Your hands are created as the extension of His ministry and His kingdom!

So, let's lift up our hands, and let us bless His holy name! Bless the Lord! Yes, the Lord is touching your hands right now. Let Him. Let Him release His anointing and His power upon you! 

1 Timothy 2:8, in the words of apostle Paul, "I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting." You see, again, you can use your hands to bless. In fact, the Scripture says 'holy hands'. It means your hands are made cleansed and made holy; not by your own works, not by your own strength; but by the blood of Jesus Christ.  

Job 11:13 says: "If you would prepare your heart, and stretch out your hands toward Him." It means you can stretch out your hands toward the Lord - in blessing His name, in prayer, in worship, in surrender. So, as you prepare your heart, and as you let go, forgive, and receive this gift of righteousness through Him, you can stretch out your hands and bless His holy name. You can stretch out your hands in prayer. You can stretch out your hands in fellowshipping with Him.

And there's some more! 

Mark 16:17-18, in the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

See the word 'hands' here? As you receive His anointing and His power, you can lay hands on the sick and let the Lord's healing flow through you and out of you. You are that channel of blessing! 

So remember this. Whatever your situation may be at the moment, or if you think your life is going nowhere, just look at your hands. Your hands are blessed hands. Yes, receive these words today. The Lord is releasing great things through your hands. Amen! 

Acts 5:12 says, 'And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people.' Acts 19:11 says, 'Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul.' 

Whether you are called into the apostolic ministry or not; whatever you are called for, whatever your situation may be, and wherever you are; the Lord can touch your hands, and the Lord can work miracles through your hands as well!

Acts 8:17 says, 'Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.' 

Your hands can even be the channel of the Holy Spirit filling other lives, the Holy Spirit baptism. And you know when you are so full of the Holy Spirit, you are blessed! Because the Holy Spirit in you will always lead you and guide you. You will never end up in any 'dead-end road', as long as you follow His leading and walk in His guidance, the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 

And you know what? Your hands are not just for spiritual work, not just for healing, for signs and wonders and miracles, for the Holy Spirit baptism; but your hands can be used even in simple ways! Just a pat on the back of somebody can make his or her day! 

You see, the Lord can use your hands to encourage others when they are down. The Lord can use your hands to build others. And you know what? Those who encourage others will themselves be encouraged, and those who build others will themselves be built. Because what you sow is what you reap. If you sow encouragement to others, you yourself will reap encouragement. 

So that's why not only you are precious in His eyes, your hands are precious in His eyes too. Use it for His glory. Amen! 

Matthew 19:13-15 says, 'Then little children were brought to Jesus that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of heaven." And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.' 

Indeed, as Jesus has shown as an example, your hands can also be used to bless and to impart to the new generation, the next generation. You can use your hands to bless, to impart good virtues, to impart grace and to impart wisdom upon children, the generation after yours, so that they will have a bright future. Hallelujah! 

See how much God can use you? And I'm just writing about your pair of hands today. I've not written about other areas yet. There are so many parts of our body and so many other areas of our life that I've not mentioned yet. But I'm just talking about your pair of hands today. And even then, the Scripture has so many verses on this!

Let us pray: "O Lord God, whatever our situation may be, we can look to You. Because in Your eyes, we are loved, we are Your precious, we are the apple of Your eyes. We worship You, and we surrender to You today. We receive Your touch today. Touch our hearts, touch our lives, and You have spoken today that You are touching our hands. We receive all this. In Jesus' name. Amen." 

Click here for the full message in TiC YouTube Channel

See the good hand of the Lord in your life!

The Lord says: "This is the time to see My good hand in your life! My hand will guide you. My hand will lead you. My hand will make a way for you. My hand will build you. My hand will rebuild you. My hand will restore you. Whatever your past brokenness and shame may be, or whatever in your life that has been shattered, watch My good hand mend and heal you in this time and season." 

See the good hand of the Lord in your life! 

When the Lord spoke about His good hand, it reminded me of the book of Ezra, because in this book, one can see numerous times it's been mentioned 'the good hand of the Lord'! 

Ezra 7:9 says, 'On the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.' 

You see? The good hand of the Lord was upon Ezra. Who is this Ezra? He's a scribe, and many scholars believe Ezra wrote this book of Ezra, which is a story of the return of God's people from captivity (in Babylon) back to their own land (in Judah and Jerusalem).

By the way, what does the name 'Ezra' mean? 'Ezra' actually means 'Yahweh helps'. This name comes from the Hebrew word 'Ezer' meaning 'to help, to protect, to aid, to surround'. It speaks of the hand of the Lord helping you, protecting you, aiding you, and surrounding you! 

And that was exactly what happened in the book of Ezra! The Lord was helping His people to return from their captivity (in Babylon) back to Jerusalem! The Lord was helping His people in the rebuilding of the destroyed temple in Jerusalem! 

And this is very interesting. In Ezra 1:2-3, the Lord actually moved and stirred the heart of King Cyrus (the Persian king) to make a proclamation for God's people to return to their own land and to rebuild the destroyed temple in Jerusalem! 

In fact, Cyrus even acknowledged Yahweh as the God of heaven. He was saying, "All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me..." If you look at the Hebrew translation here, 'the Lord God' here is 'Yahweh'. Therefore, he was actually proclaiming, "All the kingdoms of the earth Yahweh has given me." So, he was acknowledging the God of Israel, Yahweh, as the God of heaven and earth! 

And Cyrus was saying, "Yes, you people of the Lord, you can go back to your land. Build the house of the Lord. Build the house of Yahweh." 

And these words came from a pagan king!

Hallelujah!

How does this apply to you right now? This speaks of a time to be set free from captivity has come! This speaks of a time to declare liberty in your life has come! Free from your bondage! Free from whatever yoke that has held you back! Free from whatever past brokenness or shame! And you are being released to be (and to do) all that the Lord has purposed for you in this new time and season!

Beloved of God, see yourself like God's people in the book of Ezra right now! That's why this book is so important in this time and season. It's such an encouragement, especially if your life has been shattered, or if your life has been broken (or shamed) in the past. 

Look to the Lord right now. He will know how to restore you. He will know how to heal you. He will know how to build you. He will even know how to do the rebuilding in your life. 

Do you see Jesus in the book of Ezra here? Jesus is in the Old Testament concealed, and Jesus is in the New Testament revealed. So over here, see Jesus as the Restorer, Builder, and even Rebuilder of your life! 

And yes, no matter what had happened in your past, like God's people those days, there is hope! And you too will see a greater future, going forward! Hallelujah!

Prayer: "O Lord God, we thank You for Your good hand moving in our lives. Your hand shall help us. Your hand shall guide us and lead us. Your hand shall make a way for us. Your hand shall build or rebuild for us. Your hand shall restore and heal us, no matter what our past brokenness and shame may be. Like Ezra, we receive all that You have spoken today. In Jesus' name. Amen."

Click here for the full teaching in TiC YouTube Channel

The hand of the Lord will uphold you!

The Lord says: "Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. Whatever you are going through at the moment, look to Me and put your trust in Me. For I will know how to strengthen you, help you, and uphold you with My righteous right hand." 

The Lord says further: "If My hand is with you, you have nothing to fear. For I will know how to clear the way for you and make a way for you."

In Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV), the Lord says, "Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." 

The words 'right hand' here in Hebrew is 'yamiyn'. In the context here, this is 'the right hand of the Lord', and it indicates His strength, or He being stronger than the situation or circumstance around you. 

In Isaiah 41:13 (NKJV), the Lord says, "For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, 'Fear not, I will help you.'" 

I know Isaiah 41 is talking about the assurance of God's help for Israel. But to apply this verse for you today, it can also speak of the assurance of God's help in your life who is in effect the spiritual Israel!

In Isaiah 41:18-19 (NKJV), the Lord says, "I will open rivers in desolate heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree, the myrtle and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine and the box tree together..." 

This, of course, can be literal, and can be symbolic. 

The expression "I will open rivers in desolate heights" here speaks of the Lord your God sends miraculous supplies of water from His heavenly resources, even in barren places. In your context, He knows how to miraculously supply all that you need to complete all that God has spoken for you to do on this earth! 

The expression "I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and acacia trees" here speaks of the Lord your God can make barren places fruitful and full of beautiful forests. It means He can take the most 'barren' or 'wilderness' situation or circumstance of yours, and turn it into 'beautiful forests'! In other words, He will know how to plant 'forests' even in the most 'barren' or 'wilderness' land of yours! He will know how to plant good things in your life, even in the most 'barren' or 'wilderness' situation or circumstance of yours!

In Isaiah 41:20 (NKJV), the Lord then says "...that they may see and know, and consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it." 

Hallelujah! 

Is there anything too difficult for God? No! 

Is there anything hard for God? No! 

Is His hand so short that He cannot help you and make a way for you? No, of course! 

And if the hand of the Lord is with you, nothing is impossible, and there's nothing that cannot be done!

Now, this word 'hand' here in Isaiah 41:20 is 'yad' in Hebrew, and it speaks of 'the open hand of God, indicating the power of God and the direction of God'. 

You see? The power of God, and the direction of God!

So, whatever your situation or circumstance may be at the moment, even if it is a very difficult or seemingly impossible situation, let the powerful hand of the Lord destroy all those burdens, bondages, and hindrances in your life! And let the directing hand of the Lord lead the way and give you the direction that you need, going forward!

Let's go to Nehemiah 2:18 now, in cross-reference to Isaiah 41:20.

Nehemiah 2:18 (NKJV) says, 'And I (Nehemiah) told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king's words that he had spoken to me. So the people said, "Let us rise up and build." Then they set their hands to this good work.' 

By that time, Nehemiah and the people of Israel had already returned to the city of Jerusalem. They saw the shattered walls of Jerusalem. They saw rubbish and ruins everywhere. And they saw the terrible state of the situation in the city of Jerusalem.

But God! The hand of the Lord was upon Nehemiah. So he spoke all the above to the people of Israel, and he spoke how the hand of the Lord was good upon him. The people then responded by saying, "Let us rise up and build." And that's how they began to set their hands to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. 

However, after that, Nehemiah 2:19-20 (NKJV) says, 'But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it (i.e. hearing of Nehemiah and the people of Israel planning to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem), they laughed at us and despised us, and said, "What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?" So I (Nehemiah) answered them, "The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem."' 

Now, we can learn a lot from Nehemiah. If God has put in your heart to do something, focus not on the mockers, but focus on what God says! And that's what Nehemiah did! 

See what happened not long after that. Nehemiah 4:7-8 (NKJV) says, 'Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion.' 

You see, sometimes when you are doing the right things, and you are doing what God has put in your heart to do, there may be people who are angry with you and offended by you. They may conspire against you, attack you, or create confusion against you. They may stir up bad gossips against you and try to pull your name down. I tell you what, learn again from Nehemiah. Your part is to stay focused on what God has spoken for you to do, till the very end!

Let's continue with Nehemiah 6:15-16 (NKJV), 'So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days. And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God.' 

For the record, the whole rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem was completed in just 52 days! Now, this was a feat even the enemies of God's people must have attributed it must be God, it must be God's hand, and it must be God's enabling! 

So, be comforted, my friends, if you have been going through a difficult time at the moment. Keep looking to the Lord. Keep putting all your trust in the Lord. Keep trusting that His hand will be with you to clear the way for you and guide you. 

No matter what, stay true to His calling, plans and purposes for your life. Follow His instructions faithfully. Follow His blueprints that He has given to you faithfully. And the Lord will be with you till the very end. Just like Nehemiah! 

After all, the name 'Nehemiah' ('Nekhem Yah' in Hebrew) means 'Comfort of YAH' or 'Consolation of YAH'. And YAH (short form for the name of the Lord, YHWH) will see to it that He will help you, strengthen you, and  uphold you with His righteous right hand! Hallelujah!

Click here for the full teaching in TiC YouTube Channel

Surrender your hands to the Lord

While praying in the Spirit the other day, I saw a vision of someone holding a large, empty, oblong-shaped plate with his hands. Then, I saw another person using a ladle to scoop rice (putting more and more rice) onto the large, empty, oblong-shaped plate, until it's full.

I asked the Lord for the interpretation, and that's when I heard these words: "Surrender your hands to the Lord, and let Him anoint, touch, bless, and prosper what are in your hands, as you prepare yourself for the many supernatural manifestations, events, and healings in the year ahead!"

Indeed, people of God, your hands are in effect the extension of God's hands. Let His hands be with your hands as you get ready for a year of many supernatural manifestations, events, and healings in the year 2018!

The year 2018 is a year for you to believe 'all that you touch shall prosper', whatever your vocation or profession may be. There is every reason for you to look ahead with much anticipation and hope! The key is to allow His hands and flow with His hands, instead of going against His hands.

In Genesis 24:1-4, the Scripture says, 'Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, "Please, put your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac."'

See the word 'hand' here?

In the modern culture that we live in today, taking oath of office may involve 'raising the right hand', 'placing the hand over the heart', or 'placing the hand on the Bible'. But in ancient Hebrew culture, one way of taking oath involved 'putting one's hand under someone's thigh'. Rabbi Ibn Ezra, a Jewish philosopher and biblical commentator, interpreted 'under the thigh' as 'submission to authority'. For someone to allow his hand to be sat on is a sign of submission to authority. Here, 'Abraham' speaks of 'the Lord, our Master', whereas the 'servant' speaks of 'you and I, who serve the Lord, our Master'.

This servant then went on his way to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor in obedience to his master's instructions. In Genesis 24:12-14, the Scripture says, 'Then the servant said, "O Lord God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. Behold, here I stand by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, 'Please let down your pitcher that I may drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink' - let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master."'

The expression 'give me success' here is the word 'qarah' in Hebrew, which means 'to bring about, to light upon'. In other words, the servant was looking to the Lord to bring about a divine appointment for him. To his understanding, nothing would happen 'by accident', but instead, it's the hand of the Lord that would bring about a divine appointment!

True enough, it happened that even before he had finished speaking, behold, a young, beautiful woman went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up. And it happened that she's Rebekah, whom the servant would soon find out her grand-uncle was Abraham! Just as his master Abraham had wanted - someone from his family and in his country to be Isaac's wife! The rest, my friend, is history.

People of God, just as this servant 'put his hand under his master's thigh' as a sign of submission to the master, you can surrender your hands to the Lord, your Master today, and you too shall find good success in all that He has called you to be (and do), as you look ahead to a great new year 2018. Amen!

The hand of the Lord that opens the doors

I heard these words from the Lord for this month:

"This is a month of open doors! In My terms and in My ways! Watch My hand do the impossible this month! Look to Me and never limit Me! Watch My hand deliver you this month! Watch My hand work in your situation this month! Watch My hand open the doors for you, when it seems impossible to men! I will open those doors in new ways that your mind cannot imagine!"

I then heard further:

"There's a release of My faith from heaven this month! A faith big enough to see your 'mountains' removed! Receive from Me boldly, and walk in it boldly!"

The word 'mountains here speaks of 'problems, or hindrances'.

Let's do a little study on the hand of the Lord now.

In Isaiah 41:18-20, the Lord says, "I will open rivers in desolate heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree, the myrtle and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine and the box tree together, that they may see and know, and consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it."

The word 'hand' here is 'yad' in Hebrew, which actually means 'the open hand, indicating power, means, or direction'. See the word 'open' here? It is this 'hand' that opens 'rivers' and 'fountains' in the midst of every form of 'desolation' and 'valley' in your life, and it is also this 'hand' that opens the 'doors' for you, even in the midst of impossibilities! And when He opens the door, no man can shut it! (Revelation 3:8)

In John 10:9, Jesus says, "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture." It is interesting to note that the word 'pasture' here is 'nome' (pronounced 'no-may') in Greek, which can mean 'food, or feeding'. This word 'pasture' therefore speaks of you feeding on every good thing that comes from the Lord!

Let's go back to Isaiah 41. In Isaiah 41:10-13, the Lord also says, "Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Behold, all those who were incensed against you shall be ashamed and disgraced; they shall be as nothing, and those who strive with you shall perish... Those who contended with you, those who war against you shall be as nothing, as a nonexistent thing. For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, 'Fear not, I will help you.'"

People of God, if you have been faced with a 'mountain' in your life recently, take heart in this assurance from the Lord today, that He is here for you and His hand is here to hold you.

The word 'hand' here is 'yamin' in Hebrew, which means 'the right hand, indicating a strong hand'. In other words, His hand is strong enough to help you to overcome, no matter what or how big your 'mountain' may be. Look to Him and never limit what He can do for you!

Let's go to the New Testament now for our cross-reference. The early church was severely threatened by the rulers of the people and elders of Israel at that time, and the believers were forbidden from speaking or teaching in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:13-18). It was at such time that they prayed, "Now, Lord, look on their threats and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus." (Acts 4:29-30)

And watch now what happened when the hand of the Lord began moving! Acts 4:31-34 says, 'And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul... and with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked...'

You see, when the hand of the Lord began moving, no one (and not even any governmental authority) on this earth could stop Him! And in spite of all those threats and persecution against the people of the Lord, the Bible says 'through the hands of the apostles, many signs and wonders were done among the people' and 'believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women' (Acts 5:12-16). Hallelujah!

People of God, let the hand of the Lord be upon your hands too, and in all that He has called you to do on this earth! Know that His hand is heavenly and supernatural, high above and more powerful than all that the 'enemy' can 'throw' at you! There's therefore no need to fear or be dismayed, whatever your situation may be at the moment!

Your part is to continue to humble yourselves under His mighty hand, casting all those cares of yours upon Him (1 Peter 5:5-7).

By the way, to 'humble yourselves under His mighty hand' is to acknowledge that He is greater, stronger, and smarter than you in every way. After all, He is the One who created the sun, the moon, the stars, and all the galaxies! So, why not let Him lead you and guide you instead? And as you flow with His leading and guidance, that's when you also know there's no need to struggle or strive in all that you do, because His hand has taken over!

During morning prayer last Sunday, my wife (Pastor Sharon) saw a wonderful vision of 'rivers of living water flowing out from those who look to Him, so strong that it pushed open the doors on earth'!

People of God, this is also your time to declare that the hand of the Lord is with you, and He is mighty enough to push open every door that the 'enemy' has shut against you! Your time of breakthrough is at hand. Receive by faith, and walk in it boldly! In Jesus' name. Amen!

The good hand of the Lord be upon you!

Ezra 8:31 (NKJV): Then we (Ezra and the people) departed from the river of Ahava (in Babylon) on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. And the hand of our God was upon us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambush along the road.

The word ‘hand’ here is ‘yad’ in Hebrew (implies ‘open hand’, and not ‘closed hand’ – there’s another word for ‘closed hand’ in Hebrew), where the word ‘yadah’ (praise, celebration, lift up hands) comes from. And it's from this word ‘yadah’ comes the word ‘Judah’ (‘Yehowdah’).

God’s good hand was upon Ezra when he led a delegation to Jerusalem to provide spiritual leadership for the former captives who were rebuilding the temple and the city. Praise God! After years of being in exile, the Jews eventually saw Cyrus (the Persian) conquer Babylon, and he (Cyrus) then allowed them to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and the city.

There's something interesting about the word ‘Ezra’ here. It is ‘Ezrawth’ in Hebrew, from the word ‘Ezer’, meaning 'help, aid, surround, protect'. This speaks of ‘the hand that helps’. In fact, the whole book of Ezra speaks of ‘the good hand of God’ upon them as Ezra (and his people) walked in God's divine destiny for them to rebuild the temple and the city of Jerusalem. Some scholars believe Ezra himself wrote this book (of Ezra), which described how he (Ezra, a priest from the lineage of Aaron, also a scribe, an expert in God’s law) experienced the good hand of God upon his life.

Ezra 7:6 (NJKV) reads, 'This Ezra came up from Babylon; and he was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses ... The king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him'.

  

Ezra 7:9 (NKJV) reads, '... On the first day of the fifth month, he (Ezra) came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him'.

Ezra 7:28 (NKJV) says, 'So I (Ezra) was encouraged, as the hand of the Lord my God was upon me; and I gathered leading men of Israel to go up with me'.

Ezra 8:18 (NKJV) then says, 'Then by the good hand of our God upon us, they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, with his sons and brothers, eighteen men'. 

You see, all the above verses describe the good hand of the Lord upon Ezra, in one way or another.

His hand is definitely greater and mightier than any man’s hand, and definitely greater and mightier than the devil’s hand. His hand also sweeps away all forms of plot, conspiracy, or trickery of men or the devil against you. 1 Chronicles 29:11-12 (NKJV) says, "Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great, and to give strength to all." This was part of David's praise to God towards the end of his own life on earth, as he blessed the Lord before all the assembly before him.

By the way, the word ‘hand’ in Webster's Dictionary speaks of ‘an instrument of the body for grasping and gripping’, and it is a symbol of authority, power, and control. But fear not, because His hand is good, not evil. His hand is like those of good parents’ (father’s or mother’s) hands that comfort (and bring assurance). Some believers have even experienced the invisible (yet tangible) hand of God touching their shoulder or their heart, and bringing them deep comfort in times when they needed it most. 

From Bible-study, one can categorize 'the hand of God' into seven major functions:

1. His hand covers you (see Exodus 33:22)

2. His hand guides you (see Isaiah 8:11)

3. His hand raises you to be who He wants you to be (see 1 Corinthians 6:14, Ephesians 1:19-20)

4. His hand lifts you up from the pit (see Psalm 119:173, Psalm 144:7)

5. His hand comforts you in the midst of trials (see Isaiah 49:14-16)

6. His hand provides for you and gives you good things (see Nehemiah 2:8)

7. His hand saves and rescues (including heals and delivers) you (see Psalm 18:6 leading to Psalm 18:35)

The number 'seven' here is the number for 'perfection' in Hebrew. This speaks of God's perfect hand. The number 'seven' is also the number for 'sovereignty, purification, and consecration'. So, His hand is also a sovereign hand, a pure hand, and a holy hand. Allow His good hand in your life. Amen.

When you 'take things into your own hands', you'll soon realize His hand will not be there (i.e. He will ‘hands off’). 'Taking things into your own hands' here speaks of ‘self-effort', but His hand speaks of ‘His ability’ or ‘His grace’ (i.e. 'His ability to do for you what you cannot do for yourself'). Therefore, instead of worrying unnecessarily over the problem you are facing now, allow His good hand to take over right now. The supplies from His good hand always flow towards you because of what happened at the cross!

In the Old Covenant, you may see on many occasions, God’s hand judges or punishes, but in the New Covenant, know that Jesus’ pair of hands was ‘punished’ on the cross for you instead! His open palms were nailed and pierced on the wooden cross, and He took upon Himself all your punishment, judgement, and sins on His hands! 

His hands on the cross are the hands that our many sins have nailed and pierced. In other words, when you should be ‘nailed’ (‘punished’ for your sins), He was 'nailed' (‘punished’) for you instead! Now let's get back to the word ‘yad’ (where ‘yadah’ comes from). He could not celebrate ('yadah') on the cross then, because He suffered immensely for you (His pair of hands was nailed and pierced, among all other sufferings on the cross), so you can now 'celebrate, praise, and give thanks' ('yadah') freely! You see, the One who is the Lion of Judah ('Yehowdah') gave it all up, so that you can now ‘celebrate, praise, and give thanks' for His immeasurable goodness to you today!

Therefore, as a believer in the New Covenant, always remember and believe that His good hand is always with you and upon you, every day, and in every area of your life. Amen!

Personally, as a writer for the Lord, I have also always believed that His hand will always be upon my hand every time I write for Him. Many times, I could literally feel His warm, tangible (albeit invisible) hand upon my hand as I write. Praise God!

People of God, I pray His hand will also be upon your hand as well from now on (in whatever you do with your hand, e.g. in writing for the Lord, in preparing business plans/proposals, in playing musical instruments, in drawing, in painting, or even in giving somebody a handshake!). Watch His favor flow from here! Praise God! In 1 Chronicles 28:19, David said, "All this, the Lord made me understand in writing, by His hand upon me (my hands), all the work (details) of these plans (to instruct Solomon to build the Temple)."

As you are being guided by His hand, I also pray you'll also be led by Him into the right place, at the right time, and doing the right things (i.e. walking into His divine appointments for you). 

People of God, a year of glory is at hand! And God has this to say to you this year: 'Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand' (Isaiah 41:10). Receive this promise of His today, and for this whole year.

May His good hand be with you and upon you not just today, but throughout this whole year - day by day, week by week, and month by month. In Jesus' name. Amen.