Have you ever been at the grocery store and the item you needed was just out of reach? Maybe you were able to stand on a shelf, or use another box to eventually reach what you needed or perhaps you had to call for assistance. This frustrating physical phenomenon of not being able to reach an actual item also affects us in a less literal sense. In life, there are so many things that seem just out of reach. Maybe it’s a promotion, a personal goal, the solution to a problem, a financial dream, and the list goes on. If we are honest, most of us, more often than not, have a list of things outside our reach. Loved ones who have fallen away, diseases that defy us, and the dysfunction of the world seems to rally against us. Our arms are simply too short.*

* (DISCLAIMER – I have long arms (lovingly referred to as monkey arms by my mother) that tend to awkwardly hang out of most long sleeve shirts—BUT speaking on behalf of those with long arms, let me tell you that they are still way too short, especially when we compare them to God’s mighty outstretched arms.)

Surprisingly, the Bible has a lot to say about both short and long arms. In fact, over 30 references are made about God’s arm! The good news for us is that God’s arm is NOT too short. He assures us of this:

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.” Isaiah 59:1-2

Time and time again, we see in the Bible that God promises deliverance, discipline, protection, and salvation through His mighty, outstretched arm. Let’s look at a few of these:

God’s Arm Delivers & Disciplines

One of the first references to God’s arm comes during the time Israel was in slavery to Egypt. The Israelites were freed from slavery after God sent the plagues and separated the Red Sea so they could safely cross. Later Moses reminded the Israelites that they knew both the discipline and the greatness of God’s mighty hand. The feats God did while saving the Isrealites are things our human arms definitely certainly cannot do —no matter how long they are!

“Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.’” Exodus 6:6

“Know this day that I am not speaking with your sons who have not known and who have not seen the discipline of the LORD your God—His greatness, His mighty hand and His outstretched arm…” Deuteronomy 11:2

“And the LORD will cause His voice of authority to be heard, And the descending of His arm to be seen in fierce anger, And in the flame of a consuming fire, In cloudburst, downpour and hailstones.” Isaiah  30:30

God’s Arm Protects & Saves

Disobedience throughout history has led to God revealing His arm in might and discipline, but throughout it all, God has given us a promise of hope: His arm protects His people and ultimately saves us. Listen to the gentleness that our all-powerful God possesses and promises us: 

“Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs, And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.” Isaiah 40:11

God’s arm also divides. The protection and salvation is open to all, but only given to those who obey. Here we see “the nations” (those opposing God’s people) were subjected to God’s might. He flexed His arm and demonstrated His power. 

“The LORD has bared His holy arm, In the sight of all the nations, That all the ends of the earth may see, The salvation of our God.” Isaiah 52:10

God’s Arm vs. Human Arms

One of the most reassuring things about being a Christian is God does not call those who are capable. Instead, He calls those who are clear underdogs so it is clear that God is the one at work. Moses didn’t want to lead. Gideon was the least in his house and fought a large army with only 300 men. David was a young kid who took on a giant trained in battle. The list could go on and on, but one lesson we can learn from these accounts and others is that it is not by our “arms of flesh” that good things come to be, but through God’s arms. It is in Him we find peace, favor, and salvation.

“For by their own sword they did not possess the land, And their own arm did not save them, But Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your presence, For You favored them.” Psalm 44:3

“With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people relied on the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.” 2 Chronicles 32:8

“Or do you have an arm like God, And can you thunder with a voice like His?” Job 40:9

Arms Today

These verses talk about what God did for His people long ago, but our Savior is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8) and He still reveals His powerful arms to us.

“Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?” Isaiah 53:1 (prophecy fulfilled in John 12)

Furthermore, God has ensured that despite being the God above all, He is still reachable, even by our short, inadequate human arms:

“And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for ‘In him we live and move and have our being’…” Acts 17:26-28

And no matter what we are facing, NOTHING is too hard for God. So this week, as you go about your life, notice when your “arms” are too short and lean more on God and His mighty, outstretched arm that will never fail.

“Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You,” Jeremiah 32:17

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Kristin Arbuckle

Kristin Arbuckle is a writer, designer, photographer, and homeschooling mama. She and her husband, Andrew, studied at Bear Valley Bible Institute, served as missionaries in Hawaii, and worked with a church plant in Omaha before moving back to Michigan to be closer to family. Kristin enjoys art, traveling, and spending time in God’s beautiful world. She recently published her first book, Where Hope Grows Free.

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