The Hand of the Lord

Text: Psalm 18:30-35

-- As for God, His way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: He is a buckler to all those that trust in Him. - For who is God save the Lord? Or who is a rock save our God? - It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. - He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places. - He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. - Thou hast also given methe shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.

Introduction:

An old story is told of a Scottish farmer who, while working his field one day, heard a cry for help coming from a peat bog on the adjacent land. Springing to action, he found that the cries were coming from a young lad caught in a patch of quicksand at the bog's edge. The farmer quickly threw the boy a rope and tied the end to his draft ox. In no time at all, the lad was pulled to safety.

Two days later, an important-looking gentleman riding an impressive coach came to the farmer's humble cottage. "You saved my son's life." said the man, "I would like to repay you for that." "Ah Noo...ye canna repay me for savin' th'lad" said the farmer. "But surely you must need something," the man insisted.

About that time, the farmer's 7 year old son came out of the house. "Tell you what," said the man, "If you will let your son come and stay with me, I will see that he has access to the best education possible." The farmer thought for a moment, and then gave his "Aye." to the proposition.

Thus Farmer Fleming said goodbye to his son. You may now guess that this young son of a Scottish Farmer became a scientist and a doctor...a man we all know as Sir Alexander Fleming. Here's the rest of the story though...some years later the man who was saved as a young lad by farmer Fleming lay ill. None of the doctors could do anything for him, but this man, though delerious with fever, implored those around him..."Call Alex...Call Alex!!"

Soon Doctor Fleming came to his aid, just as his father had many years before. The Doctor brought a tube of a substance he had just discovered...a derivative of bread mold. At great risk, he gave his friend an injection of the substance, and the improvement was miraculous.

Two pieces I have left out of the story...The substance which Doctor Fleming gave his friend was perhaps the greatest discovery of 20th-Century medicine...the antibiotic called Penicillin...and his friend, son of the eminent scholar and politician Lord Churchill of London, none other than Sir Winston Churchill, soon to become Prime Minister of Great Britain and his country's inspiration through the horrors of World War Two.

Two old men, one a commoner, the other a gentleman. Two simple, unassuming little boys...all passing in their lives except for one small act of kindness in response to a need. It would have been a different world without these four people. Why did such a small thing as saving a boy from deadly quicksand do so much to change the world. From a human standpoint we can't tell. Some may call it a coincidence, but then the history books are full of similar stories, way out of any proportion to mathematical odds of such things happening.

Who is to say that there is not something beyond humanity that brings such interactions to pass? We call such things "The Hand of the Lord", and it is precisely that which I want to talk to you about today.

I. Though we see God at work in certain individuals, he really is at work through all who put their trust in him.

A. The King James Version uses an interesting word in verse 30 of Psalm 18, where it talks about this. The word, "buckler" means BELT in the sense we probably would use to describe a tool belt of a workman.

B. For someone employed in a skilled industrial or electrical trade, their tool belt is well organized, and puts the things they need at their ready disposal.

C. If you've ever been in a desperate situation where you didn't know what to do, then suddenly you call on the Lord and the answer was there, you get some idea of how He is a tool belt to those who trust in Him.

D. King David, who wrote those lines, found Godly wisdom and strength to be valuable tools. We know from reading about him that God's hand was upon him, and he used such tools wisely.

E. Never forget that such aids are only a request away from the God who calls us His children.

II. Remember too that the hand of the Lord is more than just a belt at our disposal. Verse 35 tells us three things about the Hand of the Lord on our lives.

A. He has become the "Shield of Our Salvation," a metaphor that the Apostle Paul would build upon centuries later. The first reflex of the human body to impending danger is to raise the hands in protection of the face and head. So the Hand of the Lord is raised to protect us.

B. The "right hand" is traditionally thought of as the hand of strength. By saying that God's right hand is holding us up, David is saying that you and I have a reservoir of heavenly strength which we may call upon whenever we need it. We can use this to stand in the difficult times.

C. Finally, David extols the fact that God alone has done it. The God of Gentleness...not human power or human wisdom...has given human beings their greatness. Were it not for the Hand of the Lord, people would wallow in their ignorance, but because of Him, we can achieve great things.

Conclusion:

David had much to acknowledge the Lord for...after all, he would likely have remained a mere shepherd all of his days, but for the Hand of the Lord, which anointed him long before an old prophet named Samuel was told, "...this is the one!"

And consider yourselves today. Were it not for the Hand of the Lord in your life, you would today be one of the billions of souls that are bound for hell. But for the Hand of the Lord in your life, where would you be? May you always remember that if you truly trust in Him, you're never powerless...you're never unprotected...you're never exhausted beyond means. Today, you are one whom He has called to greatness. God extends to you the invitation to bear His mild yoke, and to let His hand guide you.

Trust the Lord today, and let Him make something great of you!