“…the hand of our God was on us…” Ezra 8:31
I’ve felt it many times. The weight of the world and the problems it dealt me felt as if it would crush. Pressing, pushing, overloading, burdening. But then one person, in love, compassion, and understanding would place a hand upon my shoulder. Maybe a parent, a pastor, a spouse, or a brother or sister in Christ. They come alongside me and with the simplicity of a gentle touch, I instantly knew that I was not alone. Under the power of that gentle presence, I knew that somehow this struggle was not my own. As you have shared similar moments in life, it is in that moment you know…everything will be OK. God has put many people in my life that have offered this hand upon my shoulder but in remembrance of these moments, I feel like I have misappropriated the touch. What I felt in that moment, the gentle embrace of comfort and reassurance was not of this world, but the Almighty hand of God. The hand of God relaying a message through another’s hand upon my shoulder. Just as an earthy father would place a hand upon the shoulder of his son in love, the hand of my Almighty Father was felt in gentle reassurance, just when I needed it most. In chapter 8 of Ezra, we find Ezra leading a small group of six to seven thousand Israelites back into Jerusalem from their time of exile in Babylon. And as He does, we see him utter a very emphatic line not just once but twice. “The hand of our God was on us.” There may not be many more resounding lines as you walk with the Lord. Ezra was leading a small group through hostile lands. And they were carrying things of great earthly value. They were bringing back the implements of worship for use in the temple; gold, silver, and bronze. There was danger at every turn as the parents, children, young lives, and seniors began this journey to get back to the land that God had promised their fathers. Their desire was to return to their land and worship Almighty God in the way His Word commanded. King Artaxerxes would quickly and readily offer them an armed escort for this journey, but Ezra realized he could not ask the king for protection that He had declared God would provide. In great faith Ezra led God’s people in the belief that God would indeed do what He said He would do. And soon after the journey begins, we see the gentle presence of God appear on the shoulders of the people. When they were fearful, it materialized. When strange noises sounded in the night, it was there. When the worldly weight of the long journey threatened their faith in God, God’s gentle presence rested upon them. The very hand of the creator of the universe reached down and with a gentle touch, reassured His people that He was close, He was in control, and yes, He understood what they were enduring in that very moment. This gentle presence has not changed or moved. The very hand of God that guided those that called upon Him in the book of Ezra, still comforts those that call upon Him today. For those that call Jesus Christ their Savior, the hand of God, the gentle weight of your maker is always near. As you are on your journey for the Lord today, focus not on the trials that lie under your feet, but on the weight of your Heavenly Father’s hand. Be still, be quiet, and feel the gentle touch of your Father. He loves you and cares for you in deep ways you will never fully understand. And in the midst of your long and arduous journey to serve Him, He wants nothing more than to simply show you the message you so desperately need…He is close, He understands, and He will never leave your side.
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39
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