Originally posted: 8/18/2020

“Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
¹⁰ In whose hand is the life of every living thing,
And the breath of all mankind? (12:9-10).

Job has really taken all he can take. The lectures persist; as though Job’s counselors have apprehended all that can be known of God, and Job is just plain ignorant.

“You people really know everything, don’t you? And when you die, wisdom will die with you!” (12:2 NLT).

Job doesn’t profess to know everything, but he knows he has trusted God for every part of his life. Tomorrow we will read what is, perhaps the most infamous recorded declaration of his faith:

“Though He slay me, I will hope in Him,” (13:15).
“Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him,” (13:15 KJV).

But now, his faith seems to be mocking him.

“I am a joke to my friends,
The one who called on God and He answered him;
The just and blameless man is a joke,” (12:4).

While he is definitely confused about what has become his life, Job does not waver in his conviction regarding the wisdom and power of God.

“With Him are wisdom and might;
To Him belong counsel and understanding,” (12:13).

Job knows, there is no God like his God.

“To whom then will you liken Me
That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One^,” (Isaiah 40:25).

Job knows God influences and controls every part of His creation.  And we hear Job’s conviction as he now has the opportunity to speak of what he does know: nothing is outside His control; what He tears down cannot be rebuilt and what He restrains cannot be loosed; humanity, nature, leaders, rulers and nations will all succumb to His sovereign rule; He brings light out of darkness and brings darkness into light; He confounds and gives wisdom. God’s ways definitely may be mysterious and beyond comprehension, but this much Job knows; He Has everything in the Palm of His Hand (12:14-25).

“Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
¹⁰ In whose hand is the life of every living thing… (12:9-10).

To have someone in the palm of one’s hand: “to have complete control or influence over (someone): to be able to control (someone) easily.”

Job feels forsaken as he emphasizes the work of God’s Hand by His wisdom and might to tear down, imprison, overthrow and deprive. But I couldn’t help but wonder if he heard another message from between the lines of his spoken pain; if he heard with ears of faith some truths about the Palm of His Hand.

But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me,
And the Lord has forgotten me.”
¹⁵ “Can a woman forget her nursing child
And have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget, but I will not forget you.
¹⁶ “Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;
Your walls are continually before Me,” (Isaiah 49:14-16 emphasis added).

Let that thought sink in… He has inscribed us on the Palms of His Hands.

Inscribed: “2710. חָקַק ḥāqaq: A verb meaning to cut, to inscribe, to engrave, to decree. The basic meaning, to cut, is used for cutting a tomb out of rock…but it is used more commonly of engraving or writing… It is employed for decreeing (i.e., inscribing) a law; and the word statute is derived from it.”

This word that speaks of cutting a tomb out of a rock reminds us of the lengths He went to make us His own, to inscribe us on the Palm of His Hand. He is the One Who did the inscribing, He is the One Who has decreed it to be; He is the One Who has placed us in the Palm of His Hand never to be forsaken or forgotten, to be compassionately loved and permanently kept, continually mindful of our well-being and protection!

Consider Him Who Has Us in the Palm of His Hand

• He Has Us in the Palm of His Hand; never to be forsaken.
  • “The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed,” (Deuteronomy 31:8).
  • …for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” (Hebrews 13:5).

• He Has Us in the Palm of His Hand; never to be forgotten.
  • “Remember these things, O Jacob,
    And Israel, for you are My servant;
    I have formed you, you are My servant,
    O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me,” (Isaiah 44:21).
  • “Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. ⁷ Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows,” (Luke 12:6-7).

• He Has Us in the Palm of His Hand; to be compassionately loved.
  • “Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you,
    And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you.
    For the Lord is a God of justice;
    How blessed are all those who long for Him,” (Isaiah 30:18).
  • Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?… ³⁷ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, (Romans 8:35, 37-39).

• He Has Us in the Palm of His Hand; to be permanently kept.
  • The Lord is your keeper;
    The Lord is your shade on your right hand.
    ⁶ The sun will not smite you by day,
    Nor the moon by night.
    ⁷ The Lord will protect you from all evil;
    He will keep your soul, (Psalm 121:15-7).
  • …Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. ²⁵ Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them, (Hebrews 7:24-25).

• He Has Us in the Palm of His Hand; continually mindful of our well-being and protection.
  • “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have called you by name; you are Mine!
    ² “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
    And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
    When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,
    Nor will the flame burn you.
    ³ “For I am the Lord your God,
    The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; (Isaiah 43:2-3).
  • The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen, (2 Timothy 4:18).

How do we respond to Him Who Has Us in the Palm of His Hand?

Let’s start by asking Him to strengthen our eternal eyesight, that He would grow us to view the afflictions of this life through eyes of faith rather than through muddled sight that clouds our emotions and thoughts.

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, ¹⁸ while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal, (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

We must choose to believe He Has Us in the Palm of His Hand, never to be forsaken or forgotten, to be compassionately loved and permanently kept, continually mindful of our well-being and protection. When the enemy tries to raise his lies over the voice of God’s Truth, let us follow the lead of our Savior. We counter his lies with the Word of God.

When we are challenged to believe that He truly Has Us in the Palm of His Hand, we should memorize Scriptures that speak to any areas of difficulty we are facing. Perhaps choose one of the passages above that addresses a challenge area. Let’s memorize His Word and hide it in our hearts; and when the liar speaks, we can answer, “It is written…!”

We were never promised a life free from troubles; if anything, just the opposite.

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).

While we will have trouble in this life, we can rest in Jesus; it is not our battle, it’s His… and He has already won. So, while we are not promised a trouble-free life, we are promised something so much better: He Has Us in the Palm of His Hand, and no one and nothing can ever snatch us away. Let’s rest in His promise; for He Has Us Eternally in the Palm of His Hand.

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; ²⁸ and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one,” (John 10:27-30).

Let’s Grow Together!