The Mighty Hand of God for Times Like These

Kendra Buckles Watson, Matt Buckles

Description

The hand of God is still at work, not limited to biblical times. In this book, the authors explore why the Lord is still relevant.
Do you ever wonder what the Bible means when referring to the mighty hand of God or how His hand would apply to your own life?
Matt Buckles and his daughter Kendra Watson, both devoted believers, weave biblical references to the hand of God with real-life stories to ignite the faith of believers and to inspire nonbelievers to find the Lord.
They reveal how the hand of God is still at work, showing the truth of what is in God’s heart and how He keeps His promises to those who believe. They also answer questions such as:
• How can we make a spiritual connection between the biblical account of God’s hand at work to His hand upon us today?
• What can we learn from examples that seem to suggest we are trapped in a downward spiral of humanity?
• How can we defend the historical Christian faith and oppose the progressive, deadly version of it?
Fellow believers must unite to trust, love, and serve our Heavenly Father, who seeks to work in each one of you, as He has done in us. By spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ and extending His kingdom through discipleship, you’ll be carrying out what God wants you to know and do.

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Spiritual Growth
• Christian Living
• Philosophie et théologie
• Jesús de Nazaret
• God
• Jesus
• Jésus-Christ

Informations

• Publié par: WestBow Press
• Date de parution: 05 avril 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781664295865
• Langue: English

Extrait

The Mighty Hand of God for Times Like These
 
 
Scripture and Stories to Challenge Us to Know and Trust God in the Tough Times of Life
 
 
 
Matt Buckles and Kendra Buckles Watson
 
 
 
 

 
 
Copyright © 2023 Matt Buckles and Kendra Buckles Watson.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.
 
 
 
WestBow Press
A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.westbowpress.com
844-714-3454
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6642-9587-2 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-9588-9 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-9586-5 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2023905744
 
 
 
WestBow Press rev. date: 03/30/2023
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unless otherwise noted, all scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
 
Scripture marked (KJV) taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
 
Scripture quotations marked (NASB) taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission. www.Lockman.org
 
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.®
 
 
 
 
 
 
I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works;
I muse on the work of Your hands. I spread out my hands to You;
My soul longs for You like a thirsty land.
—Psalm 143:5–6 (NKJV)
 
 
 
 
 
This work is dedicated to the First Baptist Church, Vicksburg, Mississippi, where His hands in love are at work.
—Matt Buckles
That all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty.
—Joshua 4:24
____________
This work is dedicated to Karen D. Buckles.
He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
—Psalm 91:4
Contents
Authors’ Note
Preface
Part I: Introduction, Biblical Basis and His Hands & Ours
Chapter 1     Anthropomorphism (Understanding God in Human Terms)
Chapter 2     The Hand of God in the Bible
Chapter 3     The Touch, Laying On, and Writing of Hands
Chapter 4     Jesus’s Hands—His Love for Us
Chapter 5     An Interview with Physical Therapists
Chapter 6     The Lifting Up of Holy Hands
Chapter 7     People Pictures of His Hands Today
Chapter 8     Kendra’s Stories of His Hand at Work
Part II: What Does the Hand of God Do for Us?
Chapter 9   The Hand of God Created the World
Chapter 10   The Hand of God Created Me—God Does Not Need a Sonogram
Chapter 11   The Hand of God Saves
Chapter 12   The Hand of God Carries Out His Purposes
Chapter 13   The Hand of God Holds Every Life
Chapter 14   The Hand of God Encourages
Chapter 15   The Hand of God Guides
Chapter 16   The Hand of God Supplies
Chapter 17   The Hand of God Affirms
Chapter 18   The Hand of God Forms Us to Be Like Christ
Chapter 19   The Hand of God Disciplines and Forgives
Chapter 20   The Hand of God Grows Our Faith
Chapter 21   The Hand of God Blesses
Chapter 22   The Hand of God Protects
Chapter 23   The Hand of God Keeps Each Promise.
Chapter 24   The Hand of God Controls, Blesses, and Destroys Nations
Chapter 25   The Hand of God Lifts Up the Fallen
Chapter 26   The Hand of God Works Secretly
Chapter 27   The Hand of God Honors
Chapter 28   The Hand of God Empowers to Serve
Chapter 29   The Hand of God Heals
Chapter 30   The Hand of God Leaves Evidence
Chapter 31   The Hand of God Comforts
Chapter 32   The Hand of God Is Missionary
Chapter 33   The Hand of God Secures Eternity
Chapter 34   The Hand of God Cares for the Orphan, Widow, and Helpless
Chapter 35   The Hand of God is Everywhere—Keep Watching
Part III: Stories, Music, Prayers, and Studies/ Sermons About the Hand of God
Chapter 36   More Stories of God’s Hand at Work
Chapter 37   Music Involving God’s Hand
Chapter 38   Prayers Focused on God’s Hand
Chapter 39   Studies-Sermons on The Hand of God
Conclusion
Resources
Acknowledgments
 
 
The image of a hen nestling chicks under her wing endures as a vivid picture of motherhood. The hen protects her chicks from the dark night. She shields them from the rain. With her wings she herds them through the barnyard. An often-used illustration also suggests that a mother hen sacrifices herself in fire by spreading herself over her chicks.
By God’s grace, my own mother’s wing has covered me through my life. Despite my age and stage of life, Karen Buckles has shielded me, guided me, and protected me. She has held me at my lowest, served me when I was most needy, and celebrated with me in the heights of joy. As I age, I treasure the comfort of her wing in increasing measure.
At no point in my life have I needed my mom more than on my triplet journey. My mother sacrificed months of her own schedule, the comforts of her own home, and the rest she deserved in retirement to serve my family faithfully. She kept my eldest child, James, during the day while I was in the hospital three weeks prior to the triplets’ birth. She stayed with him for months after so I could be with them in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) during the day. Once they arrived home, she worked tirelessly throughout the day and night, helping Thomas and me take care of them, keeping our home afloat, and investing time in James. More amazingly, she had a smile on her face and joy in her heart every moment.
Anything I have accomplished (especially in the past four years) has been due to her support and the gift of her time. With no hesitation, I easily dedicate my words to her. I pray that I mother my own chicks as well as she has mothered me. May they see the love of Christ through me, as I have seen it through my mother.
—Kendra Buckles Watson
Authors’ Note
We have confidence in God and know that what concerns us could not be in better hands.
Calm reliance on God is our assurance at all times, ages, and stages of life.
We believe in the every moving of His hand in our lives. We also affirm our conviction in His noiseless footsteps and unseen hand. The pages of our lives are marked with the silent and sure impressions of God’s handprints. We see the work of His hand every day.
Our lives are to be a useful vessel for His purpose, an instrument in His hand for His pleasure and glory.
In 2020–2022 it was hard to see the hand of God, but He was there all the time.
We believe in the unseen, unbreakable, and unconquerable hand of our God. It is difficult sometimes to find His kind heart behind that strong hand, but it is there.
Preface
An Idea … Procrastination … Completion
In April 2010 I was convinced of an idea for a book. As a pastor, avid reader, compiler of biblical study materials, and student of history, I was certain that I could write this book. My daughter Kendra Buckles Watson was graduating the next month from Dallas Theological Seminary with a master’s degree in Christian media and journalism. I put a few ideas on paper and presented it to her as a graduation gift. Kendra tearfully accepted the gift. She and I were to coauthor a work entitled The Hand of God for Times like These. My gift then was nothing more than the basic ideas of a work about the hand of God from Holy Scripture, intertwined with personal stories. This book was to be a father-daughter work.
Her husband Thomas was accepted to the University of Alabama Law School, and they moved from Dallas to Tuscaloosa that summer. For the next three years, he studied hard and graduated with honors. Kendra was on the staff of the Calvary Baptist Church, located adjacent to the campus on Bryant Drive. Her role was media and communication for this faithful local church. She excelled in this ministry, as Thomas did in law school. My wife Karen and I enjoyed visiting them often in their “Roll Tide” world.
Procrastination is not a doctrine, but I practiced it often. I would think of the need to get back on track with this work and not procrastinate. I collected stories, illustrations, music, scriptural references, and ideas. I also used many excuses