Day 35: In His Hand...
Often in December, as a way to prepare, I utilize the 12-steps of AA to guide my quiet time. In particular, I try to make it to the 12th step - Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and practice these principles in all our affairs.
A spiritual awakening is a big deal; it seems to me that it requires a big God to wake our sleepy selves up. Isaiah helps us catch a glimpse of the power and glory of God. He should know. No one seems to know exactly how this happened—a dream, a vision, whatever—but Isaiah was given a glimpse of the Lord. When Isaiah shares with us the utter hugeness of God, we need to listen!
Isaiah asks a series of questions in chapter 40, verse 12: “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?”
God needs a pretty big hand to hold the water of planet earth. He reports that the palm of God’s hand must be capable of holding 912,500 cubic miles of water. Think about it. That’s 912,500 miles high, 912,500 miles deep, and 912,500 miles wide—all sitting nicely in the palm of God’s hand. No wonder His robe is so gigantic!
Shaquille O’Neal has a pretty big hand. You notice its size if you ever see him grab a basketball and hold it like it was a grape. But Shaq’s hand is nothing compared to the hand of God. God can span the diameter of the earth from the tip of His thumb to the tip of His little finger—25,326 miles in diameter.
When we pray, “Lord, I’m placing this in your hands,” or when we say to our friend, “I’ve just got to put this in God’s hands and leave it there,” don’t think of this as a small thing. Don’t shrug your shoulders. Don’t act like whatever your “thing” is it will be a real stretch for God to hold gently in his palm. This is the guy who can hold 912,500 cubic miles of water in His hand!
The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1 NIV
