Sheep of His Hand

God's word is active and powerful, and the importance of a single word cannot be understated.  For those who hold fast to the words of life, we observe this continually with gladness.  I was struck by the repetition of the word "hand" three times in the first half of Psalm 95, and this provides a good illustration of what I mean.

Psalm 95:1-4 begins by saying, "Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. ² Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with  Psalms. ³ For the LORD is the great God, and the great King above all gods. ⁴ In His hand are the deep places of the earth; the heights of the hills are His also."  This passage is a call to sing praises to God with joy because He is the "Rock of our salvation," the great God and King above all.  From the deepest valleys to the highest mountains, all is in His hand; all is His and under His sovereign rule.

The rule of the LORD God extends beyond lands and seas claimed by the nations of the earth, for Psalm 95:5 says, "The sea is His, for He made it; and His hands formed the dry land."  God created the vast expanse of the sea and dry land.  Like a potter forms a vessel with His hands, God spoke the world into existence by the power of His voice.  Because the earth and the heavens are His creation, they are His to do everything He desires.

A personal shift occurs in Psalm 95:6-7a:  "Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. ⁷ For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand."  The psalmist bids us worship, bow down and kneel before the LORD our Maker.  He did not just create the deep seas and high mountains but fashioned us in the wombs of our mothers and called us by name.  By faith in God He is ours and we are His people--and get this--we are "the sheep of His hand."  It is one thing to be in God's hand, to be made by His hand, yet those who follow the Good Shepherd Jesus are the people of His pasture and sheep of His hand.  This magnifies the greatness and awesome power of our God who makes sinners into new creations by His grace who are of Him and righteous in His eyes.

As we read the Bible, God is gracious and faithful to teach us.  While there will be always remain truth about God beyond our understanding, we can trust God to provide all we need to know to trust Him and follow Him all our days into eternity.  Paul wrote truly in Romans 11:33-36:  "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! ³⁴ "For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor?" ³⁵ "Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him?" ³⁶ For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen."  May we worship the LORD God as the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand, for we are most blessed to be of Christ and in Christ by faith.