The Hand of Jesus John 10: 27-30 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
When you are saved, you are securely in the hand of Jesus and in the hand of God. With his hand:
He holds us – Jn 10:27-20 – we are eternally secure in the hand of the Lord. He holds us and keeps us from falling out of his hand. Jude said, “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever, Amen,” [Jude 24-25]. David knew the benefit of being held in the Lord’s hand [Ps 18:35].
He folds us – SOS 2:6 to fold is to clasp or enwrap closely: embrace. Hymn 340 Nearer, Still Nearer, verse one. “Nearer, still nearer – close to thy heart, Draw me, my Savior, so precious thou art; Fold me, O fold me close to Thy breast, Shelter me safe in that “Haven of Rest,” Shelter me safe in that “Haven of Rest.” There are times we we just need to be held. We need his loving embrace, his shelter, his refuge, his comfort, and his care. I experienced this when my father died. I experienced this before we started this church. When you find yourself in a really tough situation, don’t distance yourself from God. Draw nearer to him. A young friend of mine is mad at God right now for suffering the consequences of his sin. He needs the Lord to fold him; but he’s pushed God away.
He scolds us – He 12:5-11 – the chastening hand of the Lord is a loving hand. By it we become partakers of his holiness. His chastening hand yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Though he must chasten us, his chastening hand is gentle.
He molds us – Rom 9:20-21 – Hymn 388 Have Thine Own Way, Lord! “Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way! Thou art the Potter, I am the clay: Mould me and make me After Thy will, While I am waiting, Yielded and still.” Once in the hand of the Lord for molding, he can feel defects and impurities in the clay. He will remove these and start again to make you a vessel of honor unto his glory.
Conclusion: don’t worry about losing your salvation; the Lord will not lose his grip on you. Let the Lord draw you to him when you need his tender embrace. Don’t resist his chastening hand; it’s very good for you. And don’t fight him when he is trying to mold you into the vessel he has designed you to be.