How can I see the hand of God moving in my life?

Answer

Several Scriptures describe how God’s hand moves and guides people (1 Samuel 5:11; 2 Chronicles 30:12; Job 19:21; Job 27:11; Ecclesiastes 2:24; Ecclesiastes 9:1). These passages do not imply that God literally possesses a hand. The Bible states that God is spirit “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”, (John 4:24), and that He does not have a physical form in His essence. Nevertheless, this does not mean that God is unable to take on a physical form; many times in Scripture, God does assume a physical form. The hand of God does not refer to a literal body part. Instead, just as a father lovingly guides and patiently disciplines a child with his hand, we are guided by the hand of God.

The movement of God’s hand appears to be an area where the saying “hindsight is 20/20” holds particularly true. Often, when we are going through a challenging or perplexing period, we are unaware of how God is leading us. Years later, it becomes evident why God led us through that experience in the manner He did. In retrospect, we can clearly see God’s hand moving, guiding, protecting, and so forth. A time of trial is seldom pleasant. Yet, there are numerous instances where a trial or struggle is viewed as the most spiritually significant period in a person’s life. This is why James encourages us to “consider it pure joy” “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;”, (James 1:2) when we face various trials because they hold immense value for our spiritual growth.

How can we better recognize God’s guiding hand?God moving in our lives? First, we must familiarize ourselves with God’s Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17), which informs us about who God is and what He does. Similar to how an instruction manual assists us in understanding a specific device, reading God’s Word helps us comprehend how God operates and how we should react to Him. Second, we must communicate with God through prayer. We can seek wisdom from God “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”, (James 1:5). We can request God’s help to recognize and submit to His guidance. We can express gratitude for how His guidance has directed us. We can ask Him to assist us in learning His lessons, in His timing, for the duration His guidance is leading us through.

Third, we must trust God. Just as a son may often resist his father’s guidance—distrusting his judgment or rejecting his discipline—so do we sometimes resist God’s guidance: “Why did You permit this? Why must I do that? Isn’t there another way?” While it is acceptable to pose these questions with humility, it is inappropriate to question God’s benevolence or the soundness of His plan. Frequently, we exacerbate a situation in our lives by failing to trust and obey God promptly and by not promptly grasping the intended lesson.

The hand of God symbolizes God’s guidance, instruction, and discipline. The more we acknowledge the hand of God, the better we can follow His guidance. Through the study of God’s Word, a robust prayer life, and unwavering trust in God, we can learn to identify, trust, and appreciate God’s hand at work in our lives.