YouVersion

1 Peter 5:6-11 HCSB
v. 6) Submit to the will of God. Surrender your all to Him. If you follow Him, He will bless you abundantly.
v. 7) He cares about YOU! No matter what your past is, He loves you! He can wipe away your past completely if you just give it to Him. Things may be too big for you to handle alone, but God will take care of it all if you just ask Him.
v. 8) Have a stronghold in the Lord. The devil will try to trick you, harm you, and weaken you in anyway he can, but no matter what, hang on to God.
v. 10) You may suffer and be tempted and tried, but through your pain and suffering, you can draw nearer to God. Instead of blaming all your troublesome times on God, let your faith grow stronger through those hard times; trust that God will bring you out of it. God wants all of us to be with Him in Heaven, but sometimes, like Job, we have to go through things so that God can be glorified. *When we are weak, HE is made strong!
--a look back at verse 6
"the mighty hand of God"
In God's hands we will find rest, hope, deliverance, and freedom. God is the only one who can truly calm us and bring us real peace. In Him, we have hope and encouragement because we know that He has already walked in our shoes, and He has conquered death and hell. Through Christ, we have salvation and eternal victory. All of these things are found in the hands of God. Isn't it wonderful that we are God's children, and we are not only in His hands, but He has His loving arms wrapped around us? He is beckoning us to come and follow Him and to experience His goodness.

In God's hands there is protection and correction.
-Ezra 8:22 HCSB, "The hand of our God is gracious to all who seek Him, but His great anger is against all who abandon Him."
-Hebrews 10:29-31, 11:6, 12:1-15 HCSB
12:9-10) Parents teach their young children right from wrong. They correct them in a loving way because they want their children to do right. In the same way, God corrects us. God doesn't punish us because He is a mean God who likes to punish His people. No, He corrects us because He is a LOVING God. He teaches us right from wrong, and punishes us when we do wrong, so that we will learn, and "we can share His holiness." Parents nurture their children and try to build them up. Likewise, we should nurture our fellow Christians and non-Christians alike. Teach them more about God and love them. It is our job to edify one another, and help each other to draw closer to Christ. Tell others of Jesus' love, so that they can come to know Him and be in the hand of God.

Sometimes we feel that we are unworthy of God's grace and that we don't deserve to be held in His hands. No matter where you've been, God still loves you. No matter how far you've drifted, He just wants to run to you and wrap you up in His arms and love you. Run to His forgiving hands. He's calling out to you. His love is unconditional. Run to Him. Run to God!