Held in God’s Hands

Albert Bogle August 26, 2026 3 2

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Psalm 138 (NIV-UK)

1 I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
    before the ‘gods’ I will sing your praise.
2 I will bow down towards your holy temple
    and will praise your name
    for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
    that it surpasses your fame.
3 When I called, you answered me;
    you greatly emboldened me.

4 May all the kings of the earth praise you, Lord,
    when they hear what you have decreed.
5 May they sing of the ways of the Lord,
    for the glory of the Lord is great.

6 Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;
    though lofty, he sees them from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
    you preserve my life.
You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes;
    with your right hand you save me.
8 The Lord will vindicate me;
    your love, Lord, endures for ever –
    do not abandon the works of your hands.

I think this is a psalm all about perspective. On Sunday we looked at the prophetic word of Isaiah, calling us to look to the rock from which we were hewn. In today’s psalm we find ourselves being drawn into a place of safety to experience the joy and confidence of what it feels like to be held in the hands of God. To feel protected when walking through places and times of trouble.

You know the psalms are written for our benefit. This is a psalm of David, but he is saying this is the same God who can and will protect you. Why you may ask — because you are the work of his hands. Yes you are his handiwork. Your hands and your life are important to God. So, let’s look at the things that are ‘in hand at the moment’ — your work, your family concerns — the decisions to be made in the next few days.

Our Celtic forebears often took ‘the everyday things’ to God in prayer asking his blessing upon them. So why not take your computer keypad, ask a blessing upon it.  Take the duster in your hand and ask a blessing upon it. Take that piece of work that is troubling you — ask a blessing upon it. Take that tricky situation you face this week, invite God’s hand to be stretched out to protect you. Now go back to the psalm and repeat out loud the first three verse. Now it is time to believe your hands are in the hands of God.

Questions for personal reflection:

Take a note of the physical or mental labour your hands perform each day, how can these actions become prayers?

Reflect on verse seven. Why does God preserve us in the middle of trouble, rather than just pulling us out of it? 

Prayer:

Lord,

Give me the physical strength to complete the tasks at hand

Give me a lighter heart as I go to work today

Help me be an encouragement today to those I work alongside

Give me a fresh sense of your hands holding me, protecting me, guiding me

Keep me humble, willing to learn, open minded, ready to change my point of view

for the greater good.

Let your light shine on the creative work of my hands today,

offering everyday glory to you.