With almost all of my paintings, I never know what I’m going to paint next. What I do know is that it’s just a matter of time until the Holy Spirit inspires me to illuminate my canvas, and typically, it’s by the way of a song!
I heard the lyrics “He’s got the whole world in his hands” ring out on my playlist. It wasn’t the original song, but that line brought me right back to my childhood. A vision of Jesus with the world in His hands and all His children standing on the world. Children of all races holding each other's hands with a big smile as God’s universe surrounds them. It was only a day later when I listened to a podcast at Gravity Leadership that a woman by the name of Melinda Joy who is multiracial told her powerful story of the challenges in life and how anyone--if they try--can connect to others who are different than them by exploring their commonalities rather than exploiting their differences.
Ironically, her story challenged me. I have really struggled recently with how being a white man with a transgender child has made me feel like an outcast. I felt like society was labeling me as a prejudice person because of the color of my skin. But yet I knew what it was like to be treated differently because of who my child is. Close friends and family didn’t know how to talk to me. Was there something that I didn’t see in myself that others did? Do I prejudge people of a different color like they prejudge me and my child? I started to question if it’s possible that a person can be completely free of prejudice? If you think that you’re not prejudice, then is it possible you are not, or is prejudice, like sin, innate in all humans? The more I looked into it, the more I found that as human beings, we are wired to avoid danger. We all have visual cues that our brains deem dangerous without our conscious awareness--such as a person’s skin color--which all evolved over years in a flight or fight world. Whether it’s race, sex or something else, we need to know that only God can rewire us in His image--NOT society. So why do we listen to the media, politicians, social media and not the Bible thinking we can change the world? Society tells us that God doesn’t have a place at the table, and individual rights are more important than an unborn child’s rights. If anyone feels differently, then why should I even talk to them? It’s easier to surround myself with people who are just like me to make me feel good about myself. In today’s world, we are taught that the most important person is the individual and that relative truth matters more than God’s truth. So, who am I to believe?
Back to why I decided to paint “He’s got the whole world in his hands.” As with most of my paintings, I find myself having a daily conversation with God. Could a song and a podcast be wrong when it comes to what God is telling me? For me, that’s discernment--part of the daily conversation I have with Jesus. It’s clear that all I needed to do was put the paint on the canvas while He guides my hand to overcome prejudice--my own prejudice, not by protesting but by my actions to look first for the commonalities rather than differences in others.
Before I start a painting, I like to do a little research. I discovered “He’s got the whole world in his hands” originated as an African-American spiritual song created extemporaneously by one slave or by a community of slaves. The exact origin is unknown. I also like go to God’s Word and see what speaks to me. Relating to the scriptures, the origin of the song could have been based on David’s Psalm 24:1-2 (ESV) “The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers” and/or Isaiah 40:12a (NIV) "Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand…” and/or Ephesians 5:18b-20 (NIV) “be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
I find it amazing that the roots of such a simple, but powerful, song came out of slavery. Out of a person or group of people that, while persecuted, looked beyond their circumstances and anger to choose God as the source for all their love and strength, not hatred. If I look at David, Isaiah and the apostle Paul, it may have been the scriptures that offered comfort to slaves to fill their hearts and souls knowing that we all are God’s creation as they sang out.
1. He’s got the whole world in his hands.
He’s got the whole wide world in his hands.
He’s got the whole world in his hands.
He’s got the whole world in his hands.
2. He’s got the wind and the rain in his hands.
He’s got the wind and the rain in his hands.
He’s got the wind and the rain in his hands.
He’s got the whole world in his hands.
3. He’s got the little bitty baby in his hands.
He’s got the little bitty baby in his hands.
He’s got the little bitty baby in his hands.
He’s got the whole world in his hands.
4. He’s got you and me sister in his hands.
He’s got you and me sister in his hands.
He’s got you and me sister in his hands.
He’s got the whole world in his hands.
5. He’s got ev’rybody in his hands.
He’s got ev’rybody in his hands.
He’s got ev’rybody in his hands.
He’s got the whole world in his hands.
The message of the song is simple. If you follow God and listen to His Word knowing that He is in control of all aspects of his creation, you can take comfort in His presence no matter your circumstances. Ultimately, all we have and all we know is in His Word and “In His Hands.” Song He has the whole world in His hands!
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