His Hand Upon You
Dick Leggatt, President of Derek Prince Ministries — USA and comprises his September 11, 2020 Newsletter. Click here to receive the Derek Prince Ministries emailed E-devotional.
Dear Friend,
Do you recognize God’s hand upon your life? Are you aware of the nearness of His presence and touch? Are you able to believe that His hand is holding you and guiding you?
Sometimes, especially when we are facing intense challenges in life, it feels as if God is distant from us. We might even think He has deliberately withdrawn from us.
Nothing could be farther from the truth. In this letter, I want to make the case from the Word of God that The LORD is very close to you and me. In fact, at all times, His hand is upon you.
Hand to Hand
I love being a grandfather. Some people in my age group have stated that if they had known grandparenting could be so great, they would have skipped the raising children part and gone right to the grandparenting part. It really is a joyful experience.
One of my favorite moments in my life so far took place a few years ago with my grandson, who was five years old at the time. I was seated at our kitchen table reading, and Ian was sitting beside me, reading his own little book (yes, reading at age 5).
As we sat there, Ian almost imperceptibly moved his left hand over and put it on top of my right hand. For about five minutes, there we sat reading, his hand tenderly resting on mine.
Some might not have noticed that subtle move on Ian’s part. But I did. My wife did as well, because she discreetly snapped a photo of the event.
Please let that image fill your mind right now — Ian’s hand resting squarely on mine. Now, replace the hands in your mental picture, imagining The LORD’s hand tenderly resting upon yours.
The Hand of The LORD
Are you able to envision The LORD holding your hand? It’s a powerful thought, isn’t it?
This is the imagery David provides for us in two places in Psalm 139. Verse 5 says: “You [LORD] have hedged [enclosed] me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me.”
Later, in verses 9 and 10, David says, “If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.”
If it is true that The LORD has taken our hand, holding us and guiding us, why would there be any reason for alarm or concern on our part? His hand is upon us.
There is little need for added commentary on these verses. They explain themselves, don’t they?
The thoughts they express parallel two of my favorite verses in Isaiah 41. Verse 10 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.”
Then, verse 13 says, “For I, The LORD your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’”
His hand upon you and me — to help us, strengthen us, and guide us.
What more could we ask of Him?
Protection and Blessing
Derek Prince mentions the verses above, along with another encouraging passage from Isaiah, in an uplifting radio series, ‘Restoration, Part 1.’
He explains the assurances we can have, even in difficult seasons, that The LORD will keep His hand upon us.
We become God’s people by entering into a covenant with Him. Once that covenant has been established and ratified by God, then God declares emphatically He will never break His own covenant. He is committed to maintain it.
Let’s look at some of the promises God gave to Israel under the old covenant — because the principle applies still today. In Isaiah 41:10, God says to Israel: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (NAS).
What wonderful words of comfort and encouragement in the midst of so much turmoil, confusion, and insecurity! How good to be able to hear the voice of Almighty God saying, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you.”
In other words, the solution isn’t on the human plane. The solution is through looking upwards: “For I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
Then, again in Isaiah 43:2, God says: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you,” (NAS).
God does not say we will never pass through difficulties or pressures or trying times. We will pass through the waters, through the rivers, even through the fire. But God promises His presence with us all the way through. He promises that nothing will harm us or frustrate His purposes of good for us.
Extending Your Hand
Are you going through the waters, the rivers, or the fire right now? Would you like to join me in asking for the help God promises?
Here is what I would like to do. As you and I offer the prayer that follows, let’s both extend our hand — placing it before the Father on whatever surface is in front of us. Then, as we pray, envision The LORD placing His hand right on top of yours.
Dear Lord, I am extending my hand to You with this prayer. I am placing it before You, asking You to take hold of me.
By faith, I see You placing Your hand on top of mine. I affirm the truth of Your promise which tells me that I don’t have to fear, I don’t have to be dismayed, because Your right hand, Father, is now holding mine.
By offering my hand to You, LORD, I place everything that concerns me fully in Your grip. I trust You with all of it — every detail and concern of my life. You will take it all, for You hold me by my hand. Thank You, LORD. Amen.
In His Grip
This is a wonderful step you and I have taken today. In the midst of these tumultuous times, it makes all the difference to know we are firmly in The Father’s grip.
Without trying to be presumptuous in any way, all of us at Derek Prince Ministries want to take hold of your hand as well.
Our part in The LORD’s care for you is to offer added help and strength through the materials we provide. Let’s start the process with the radio series, ‘Restoration, Part 1,’ from which we took Derek’s quote. Just use the link below to get your free MP3.
Listen Online
As we offer you these resources, we want to express our sincere appreciation for your participation with us. We are deeply touched by the prayers you offer on our behalf, and by the gifts you send in support of the work taking place. Many lives are being touched.
Simple, Yet Profound
I fully realize that the main premise of this letter is very basic. You have heard it before — and you know it well. Even so, the simplest concepts can be the most profound.
My sincere hope is to encourage you with a basic principle that has inspired and sustained me throughout my life in Jesus Christ. It is the simple, yet profound, truth that you and I are not alone. By faith, we move forward in this life — with His hand upon us.
All the best,
Dick Leggatt
President, DPM–USA
P.S. We want you to know that our staff here at DPM regularly prays for you. The challenges over the last few months have been trying, and each of us needs the Lord’s help. So, please make sure to download the inspiring message from Derek: ‘Restoration, Part. 1.’
Materials used by kind permission of Derek Prince Ministries.
Such an encouraging promise from the Lord; ‘His hand upon mine’ As I read your post I felt the peace of His presence enfold me. What a wonderful and faithful God!