He Holds Me Still

There is an old Sunday School song that speaks to the power of God. It speaks of the sway He holds over this world and all of the creatures and creation in it. It is taught to children before they can even read the Holy Scripture. With tiny clasped hands stretched out to their audience children sing words of Gods sovereignty and power. Small voices ring out seldom in tune “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.”

“He’s got the wind and the rain in his hands.”

“He’s got you and me brother in his hands.”

” He’s got the tiny little babies in his hands.”

While Researching the tune I learned it was an anonymous Afro-American spiritual loved by young and old alike and that it was common to add stanzas to the song according to tradition. The thought of the heartaches felt by the writer and its first choir resonated in my spirit, what deep sorrow they must have felt because of their oppression at that time. Yet they sing that God sees them knows them and holds them. Perhaps they added stanzas that sang

“He has every single heartache in his hands.”

”He has all that we have lost in his hands.”

“ He has my broken soul in his hands”

What an encouragement of the spirit to be able to answer back to the enemies of our flesh and heart He’s got the whole world in his hands. To every shipwreck we cause or we endure we can belt out …He’s got the whole world in his hands.” To all forms of human suffering and war we cry from the depths of our souls …He’s got the whole world in his hands.

It seems that the hymn writers knew something so profound and yet were able to communicate it so simply in an elementary song . He’s got the whole world in his hands teaches this aged Christian decades later that the acknowledgment of my position gives me a greater perspective of my problems. I like the sojourners before me can answer back to any struggle I encounter in this world, Gods got me. He still holds me right in the palms of his mighty hands.

“The Earth Is the Lord’s and all it contains.”

Psalm 24