His Hands

"For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still."  2 Nephi 19:12, 17, 21

Three times is this chapter states that Christ's hand is still stretched out.  This chapter talks about all the wickedness and bad things that the people are going to do while on this earth.  Yet three different times Isaiah restates that Jesus Christ leaves His hand stretched out for the people.

The story of Peter getting out of the boat to walk to Jesus on the water reminds me of His hand being stretched out still.  In Matthew 14:30-31 it states:
                           "But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying Lord, save me.
                           And immediately, Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"  

Yes, Jesus got frustrated that Peter doubted, but he didn't wait for Peter to go under completely or waited until he learned his lesson as he tried to swim.  Jesus Christ is not that way.  He IMMEDIATELY stretched forth His hand.  Christ won't wait until we have fallen to our lowest state before he is willing to save us.  His hand is stretched out always.

It is Christ's "work and Glory-to bring to past the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39).  Christ is always doing everything He can to help us to be able to return to our Father in Heaven.
Jacob 5:47 "But what could I have done more in my vineyard?  Have I slackened mine hand, that I have not nourished it?  Nay, I have nourished it, and I have digged about it, and I have pruned it, and I have dunged it; and I have stretched forth mine hand almost all the day long, and the end draweth night.  And it grieveth me that I should hew down all the trees of my vineyard, and cast them into the fire that they should be burned...."  We are just like trees in the vineyard.  We need to be pruned and digged so that we might more fully prosper and produce the best fruit.  Through the different trials, Christ prunes us and helps us reach our full potential.  He works dilegently in the vineyard, all day long!  Trials will allow us to come closer to God or drive us away.  They drive us away because when trials hit, we aren't using our spiritual eyes and seeing the pruning that is taking place.  We cannot allow ourselves to be hardened when trials hit.  Hardening our hearts is not the intent of our personal pruning, or trials, coming closer to God is the purpose.  In Jacob 6:4, "...but as many as will not harden their hearts shall be saved in the kingdom of God." 
The fall of people is not due to the fact that Christ hasn't helped them or he has forsaken them, for His hands have labored and done everything possible to save them.  We are the ones that have to reach up and grab His hand and call upon our Savior, Jesus Christ, to help us.  Repentance is hard because we are being pruned.  Its hard to change and become something different.  Repenting is allowing Christ's outstretched hand to catch us.  We are exercising faith when we grab his hand and allow him to work in our lives.  His hand is always there.  Isaiah 9:12 in the footnote for the word hand states: " In spite of all, the LORD is available if they will turn to him."  When we reach for that hand, we are given access to God (Isaiah 9:12 footnote e).


I know that out-stretched hand is for each of us.  Because of the Atonement Christ can support us during any pains, sorrows, guilt, and temptations that this world gives us.  Believe that Jesus Christ is mighty "to save and to cleanse (Alma 7:14).