Session #4 – Keeping you safe in His hand

You and I live in a fallen creation. Sin and death have entered the world. Everyone is born with a rebellious sin nature. No one can see God as Adam and Eve did and live. Sometimes the storms of life seem overwhelming. We ask ‘where is Jesus’?  Does He really know and care about our hurts? In this study we will examine what the Bible says Jesus is doing, even when life hurts you.

We continue Section #1 with what Jesus is doing for you when life hurts.

4) In this session, let’s examine how Jesus holds you safe in the palm of His hand.

Jesus Christ teaches that He holds you in His hand-John 10:²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

²⁸ And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

²⁹ My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

³⁰ I and my Father are one.

What does it mean to you to be held in His hand?

Jesus Christ will never throw you away.

What is eternal life?

Jesus answers this question in His prayer to the Father the night He was betrayed and John records the answer in chapter 17

¹ These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:

² As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

³ And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

⁴ I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

⁵ And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

⁶ I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.

⁷ Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.

⁸ For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

What does it mean to perish?

To be destroyed, damaged beyond repair, defeated, to be lost

What does it matter to you that you will never perish?

When you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, He gives you the ability to know the only true God; to know that God became flesh and died to pay the penalty for your sins; to have a personal relationship with Him; to understand His Words. This intimate relationship with Jesus enables you to get to know Him better; to understand His plan for the world better; to grow in your understanding of the good plan He has for your life.

What does it matter to you to know the only true God and Jesus Christ His Son?

Your Savior is intimate. Your Savior concerns Himself with the details of your daily life. You are secure in His hand. Your future is secure in His hand. What a difference this knowledge should make even when times are hard! Does it make a difference to you?

Peter’s advice about growing in your knowledge of Jesus is recorded in 2 Peter 3:¹⁷ Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

¹⁸ But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen.

Paul’s advice is recorded in Philippians 3:

⁷ But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

⁸ Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

⁹ And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

¹⁰ That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

Jesus holds you in His hand-close to Him. No one can remove you from His care. The circumstances hurting you today are temporary. Your life with Jesus is forever. Victory!

How much power is in the hand of Jesus Christ?-John 13:³ Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;

⁴ He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.

⁵ After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

⁶ Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?

⁷ Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.

⁸ Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.

⁹ Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.

¹⁰ Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.

Jesus Christ gave Himself into the Father’s hands- Luke 23:³⁹ And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.

⁴⁰ But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?

⁴¹ And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.

⁴² And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

⁴³ And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

⁴⁴ And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.

⁴⁵ And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.

⁴⁶ And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

Questions for Reflection

1) How close to Jesus Christ must you be to be held in His hand?

2) Why are you hurting today?

3) What difference does it make to you that these hurtful circumstances will not destroy you or damage you beyond repair?

4) As you reflect on Jesus holding you in His hand, what do you think?

5) How can you use what you know about Jesus to ease the hurt?

6) What does the love for you Jesus and the Father showed at the cross mean to you?

Soft Were Your Hands

Soft were your hands Dear Jesus, So gentle the touch of you,

Like a rose that opens at breaking dawn, still gemmed in crystal dew.

Hands that bore the rugged cross and made a faith divine,

Soft were your hands Dear Jesus!

Ah, would they had touched mine! Ah, would they have touched mine!

Now I Belong to Jesus-Norman Clayton

Jesus, my Lord will love me forever, From Him no pow’r of evil can sever,
He gave His life to ransom my soul; Now I belong to Him;

Chorus
Now I belong to Jesus, Jesus belongs to me,
Not for the years of time alone, But for eternity.
Chorus.

Once I was lost in sin’s degradation, Jesus came down to bring me salvation,
Lifted me up from sorrow and shame, Now I belong to Him;
Chorus.

Joy floods my soul for Jesus has saved me, Freed me from sin that long had enslaved me
His precious blood, He came to redeem, Now I belong to Him;
Chorus

Our focus = Hebrews 12:¹Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Our challenge = Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you, has uniquely designed and created only one you, has a good plan for your life, runs with you and will accomplish His purposes for you and through  you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti