The hand of God - Audio

He was born in 1899 to a baptist pastor. Like his mother he became a pianist. The music in the church had a tremendous impact upon him and by age 12 he was emulating that in his music. In his late teens he left home and to make his life in music He began to play in speak easys and other outlets for the emerging jazz music scene. He made his way to Chicago. He turned away from his convictions learned in his youth. His talent took him to many places, but he could not get away from his upbringing in the church. A relative eventually contacted him and convinced him that he was wasting his talent and needed to return it to God. He would later say that he was consumed by a desire to pour himself into the kingdom of God. This opened a new style in music that included rhythm and blues and worship music. Thomas' career took off and he worked with many great artists in the world of christian music. Sadly he received the news that his young wife had died giving birth and the young child had also died. He was crushed. It silenced the music in him. He secluded himself and withdrew. he became angry at God. It felt as if God had abandoned him. A friend came to him after some time and encouraged him to take a trip to a music school. He sat down at a piano and began to play. As he played, he began to pray for the first time in a long time. He poured out the anger and bitterness and has he poured it out, God filled him with healing. There at that piano, Thomas Dorsey wrote one of the most famous woship songs ever written. From that point, he wrote over 3000 songs. All because God's hand reached out to him on that troubling night and turned his soul.

When going through trials and trouble, it is easy to become lost in the emotion and fear of the moment. Bro. Hughes reminds us that at times like this we must remember that no matter what happens, nothing can pull us out of the hand of God that is reaching for us. During times of trial, the touch of an outreached hand of a friend is comforting. How much more so it the touch of the Lord? Throughout the new testament, Jesus reached his hand out toward the failure, the misfit, the unlovable, the lost. We must be thankful for the might hand of God that reaches for each of us. Bro. Hughes shares instances in the bible where Jesus reached out to those in need. Just like then, we have a hand reaching out to us to lead us to where He wants us to be. A place of comfort, of restoration, of salvation. The hand of God can bring us from wherever we are to where we need to be.