When Jesus breathed his final breath on the cross, he prayed, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit,” Luke 23:46. He did not say this under his breath, he shouted it with a loud voice. Jesus, at this point, was at one of the most agonizing moments in his ministry. He had suffered betrayal and the brutal nails and beatings of the cross. Jesus’ crucifixion and agony is something we all will experience in this life.
We may not have to carry a huge cross to Calvary and have soldiers nail us to it, but we will experience situations in which we will suffer. Jesus’ last moments of his life teach us that God is with us and standing by to give us a helping hand. We all know the slogan of the Allstate commercial: “You are in good hands with Allstate.”
An insurance company, Allstate’s good hands slogan communicates that when you are in an accident or in need of support you can trust Allstate, because they have good hands. Hands are used to work and help others to do something. Hands fix things. Hands cook things. Hands pick things up. Hands hold other hands. Hands squeeze other hands. Hands touch. Hands are personifications of trust, care, and comfort. If human hands can do all of this, just imagine what God’s hands can do.
As we go through this life and we feel like we are breathing our last breath, let us follow Jesus’ example and commend our spirits, our struggles, our problems, our families, our dreams, and everything else into the hands of God. God’s hands can fix things better than human hands, and even though it is romantic to hold the hand of a spouse or a beau—it is nothing like walking hand and hand with God. God’s hands can grab us when our hands get slippery and weak. When we feel like letting go, we should hold to God’s hands.
Let us remember these beautiful words of Kirk Franklin: “With Jesus, I can make it. With him I know I can stand, no matter what may come my way. My life is in your hands.” Hold to God’s unchanging hand.
