Thinking about...

"The Fruit of Her Hands."

The Bible sure talks about hands quite often. 1,571 times, to be exact.

You may blessed because of your hands: "...that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine HANDS." (Deut.24:19)

You may "provoke him to anger through the work of your HANDS." (Deut. 31:29)

Or we can be encouraged; "Be ye strong therefore, and let not your HANDS be weak: for your work shall be rewarded." (2 Chronicles 15:7)

Nehemiah prayed; "Now therefore, O God, strengthen my HANDS." (Nehemiah 6:9)

And we know He can do that, for Job prayed; "Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak HANDS." (Job 4:3)

When considering this earth, we are taught that God is the Creator; "Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy HANDS."

Then, of course, we are taught what to do with our hands;

~ "For thou shalt eat the labour of thine HANDS: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee." (Ps. 128:2)

~ "Lift up your HANDS in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD. (Ps. 134:2)

~ "A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth: and the recompence of a man's HANDS shall be rendered unto him." (Prov. 12:14)

~ "Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her HANDS." (Prov. 14:1)

~ "The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his HANDS refuse to labour." (Prov. 21:25)

~ "Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the HANDS to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man." (Prov. 24:33-34)

~ "By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the HANDS the house droppeth through. (Ecclesiastes 10:18)

~ "Let us lift up our heart with our HANDS unto God in the heavens." (Lamentations 3:41)

~ "And labour, working with our own HANDS: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:" (1 Cor. 4:12)

~ "Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his HANDS the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth." (Eph. 4:28)

~ "And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own HANDS, as we commanded you;" (I Thess. 4:11)

~ "I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy HANDS, without wrath and doubting." (I Tim. 2:8)

~ "Lay HANDS suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure." (I Tim. 5:22)

~"It is a fearful thing to fall into the HANDS of the living God." (Heb. 10:31)

~ "Wherefore lift up the HANDS which hang down, and the feeble knees;" (Heb. 12:12)

~ "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your HANDS, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. "(James 4:8)

~ "Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine HAND to do it." (Prov. 3:27)

~ "The HAND of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute." (Prov. 12:24)

~"If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine HAND upon thy mouth." (Prov. 30:32)

~ "Whatsoever thy HAND findeth to do, do it with thy might;" (Eccl. 9:10)

And how can we forget the classic HANDS chapter?

PROVERBS 31

13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her HANDS.
16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her HANDS she planteth a vineyard.
19 She layeth her HANDS to the spindle, and her HANDS hold the distaff.
20 She stretcheth out her HAND to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her HANDS to the needy. 31 Give her of the fruit of her HANDS; and let her own works praise her in the gates.


Lately, I have been noticing how often I read the word "hands" or the phrase "fruit of" (more on that later, Lord willing!). It's a study all on its own.

We ought to pray every day that the Lord would work through our hands. Nearly every skill we have comes through our hands. Let us use them well!



Oh yes - Guess what I've been using my hands for lately?