Hands Off

The Journal

Brief, Biblical Essays for Thinking People

We are all familiar, I’m sure, with the sign, “Do not handle...”; and we are all just as aware, I think, that it is not always heeded. There is something innate in each of us that likes to do our own thing, to be the one in control, even to the extent of other people's lives. In every crisis we are tempted to put our hand to the situation, to steady things so to speak. This in itself is bad enough but when we begin to do it with God, welllll, it reaches the  pinnacle of ridiculousness.  

In the Old Testament a man by the name of Uzzah found out the hard way to keep his hands out of God’s affairs (2Sam. 6:6; 1Chr. 13:9). He had good intentions, but these never supersede the Scriptures, no matter how well intentioned one may be. When things begin to get a little shaky in our or others' lives, we need to count to one hundred before getting personally involved. When Peter, with all sincerity, reached forth his hands and took Jesus, he did not realize he was doing Satan’s bidding.

Abraham and Sarah could not wait beyond God’s allotted time, so they took things into their own hands. Many Bible students believe the dire religious conflict throughout the centuries, as well as that of our own day, is the result of them not keeping their hands off and out of God’s business. We need to learn, as Mary of old, to sit still until the Master calls us to get involved. I’ve observed when a child takes something out of their father’s hands into their own, it spells TRAGEDY! Every time.

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