Statistically speaking, more than 90% of the world is right handed. That means that most of us, including myself, think of the right hand as the more important of the two. Chop off the left, and I can find my way through life. Chop off the right, and every one of my letters will be backwards from here on out.
Throughout Scripture, the right hand of God is seen as the hand of honor. It’s where Jesus stood at the martyrdom of Stephen (Acts 7:56; Hebrews 8:1). This is a callback to passages like Psalm 110:1, where the Messiah is referenced as subduing the enemies of God.
The opposite is true also: If God is at my right hand, then He is placed in a position of honor and power in my own life. At our right hand, God is our protector and our “shade” (Psalm 121:5). It’s in that location that He holds our hands and strengthens us (Isaiah 41:13).
In modern-day vernacular, we talk about this concept all the time. A trusted friend or confidant is described as a “right hand man,” someone who is in close proximity and fights our battles alongside us. It’s where we put those closest to us.
With that in mind, is God at your right hand?
When Moses reflected on the scene that unfolded before him at the Red Sea, he remarked that God’s right hand is “majestic in power” and “destroys the enemy” (Exodus 15:6). Moses had a front row seat to the capabilities of God, and the experience was enough to make him construct a song for the memorization of the people.
I pray that we always marvel at the right hand of God. That we think on His power, witness His glory in the world around us, see what He’s capable of doing, and praise His name accordingly. The right hand of God is reserved for those whom are His, and that’s exactly where I want to be.
