The Depths of God's Hand
A reflection on Psalm 95:4
95 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
3 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also.
5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.
Psalm 95:1–5.
The past few years, we have gone down to Roaring River State Park for personal recreation and spiritual renewal, and work. The spring is the deepest known spring in the USA. Divers have explored down to 472 feet, but the underwater cavern is much larger.
The underwater cavern is deep, dark, and enveloping.
This is the picture that came to mind when I read Psalm 95.
The human condition is one that all of us are keenly familiar with. Regardless of our personal struggle, we all often feel the weight of the deep expanse of our fears and inner turmoil envelope us like an overwhelming cavern.
For our young adults, it's the sweeping darkness of anxiety. For parents, it’s the blinding chaos of our never-slowing lives. For seniors, it’s the overwhelming darkness of loss and grief… The depth of our darkness can encompass any number of things.
We all have dark caverns in our lives. We feel surrounded, trapped, and suffocated by the deep void of our suffering.
The Psalmist gives us hope.
We find hope in the Rock of our Salvation… God is able to save us from the greatest depth of our suffering. No amount of anxiety, fear, grief, or rejection can separate us from the love of God.
No matter how deep the depth of our darkness is, the hand of God is larger and is firmly able to hold us. Where darkness abounds, his care for us abounds all the more.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also.
When enveloped by darkness, we are unaware of anything beyond our vision. We are often unable to see or feel the presence of God holding us firmly and securely in his hands. Yet, God’s hand has always held us. He is faithful. He is present. He is our salvation.
No matter the depths we go to, God is still able to find us, hold us, and keep us.
God and Father,
Hold me tenderly in your hand today.
Grant that I may rest in your presence.
Reveal to me the depth of your love,
which abounds far beyond the depths of my heart.
Circle me with your steadfast love
and illuminate the darkness around me.
Amen.