Context: Nehemiah, while serving as a captive in the palace of Babylon as the King's cup bearer made enquiries about the state of Jerusalem. Those same captives sang the song (Psalm 137:5) If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning
When hearing that Jerusalem was in a very bad state, Nehemiah felt led to seek God's face in prayer.
This opened the way for him to go to Jerusalem and to set about rebuilding the wall and repopulating the forsaken city again.

In our text, Nehemiah succeeded, not only  in getting the King to allow him time off to attend to this matter (v6)
but also to get royal letters to make his journey easier (v7)
and also to supply the materials from the King's forest for the work (v8)

This was some achievement, but Nehemiah doesn't put it down to his personal charm nor his diplomatic, negotiating skills,
but rather "according to the good hand of my God upon me" (text)  
Strictly speaking: God doesn't have bodily parts (Teaching aid)
but it is an apt one and full of much comfort/instruction
5 main thoughts about God's hand upon Believers:

1) GOD'S HAND UPHOLDS BELIEVERS:

A/ The reason why Nehemiah still believed in God and His cause etc., is because the good hand/God was upholding Him
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.(Isaiah 41:10)

B/ If God did not so uphold us then we would fall immediately
Satan would move in immediately and seize us and cruelly return us to his fiefdom and service

This cannot happen because Christ gives His sheep eternal life
and they shall not perish, neither shall any man pluck them from either His or His Father's hand (John 10:28-29)
This is the experience of every last one of God's people
Whether you are a strong, mature Christian or a weak, struggling Christian - God holds you in the palm of His hand

C/ We are kept by the power/God through faith (1 Peter 1:5)
and even this faith is God given and God sustained
Of course we must use the God given means
Therefore David said: Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope. (Psalm 119:116)
All through Psalm 119, David speaks about his meditating upon the word/God etc. and even the verse quoted is a petition/prayer

D/ God never lost any of His people yet.
Every last one will be successfully, victoriously and eternally raised up on the Last Day.
Every one will have cause to say that they were upheld by God's good hand of righteousness upon them

2) GOD'S GOOD HAND PROTECTS  BELIEVERS:

Already touched on this in the big, overall, eternal sense/word
It is true also in the little everyday sense/word also

A/ It was true here in relation to Nehemiah
Many had perished in the invasion - but Nehemiah had survived

Object: What of those who perished? Where they unbelievers?
Answer: No. God doesn't work that way. Many/people died as martyrs and did so to bring Him glory

There comes a day when our God made appointment/death comes (Hebrews 9:27) and we cannot expect to live beyond that day
Even though it might come in tragic circumstances, the result and the outcome is not tragic
It is very glorious!

But the point we are making here is this:
That until that day comes, you are immortal until your work for God is done
Nothing can interfere with you nor hinder you

B/ Nehemiah knew fear in his position as the King's cupbearer
(v2) Incurring the King's displeasure wasn't a good idea
Kings tended to take it very personally if you wanted to leave their presence (High thoughts about what constituted happiness)  
But when Nehemiah took the plunge and was up front (having prayed) the King was very sympathetic indeed (v5-8)

The hand/God was upon Nehemiah to protect him and it continued to be so as the whole story unfolds with the various enemies without with their cunning ways and the traitors within etc., but again/again…God protected His servant, so much so, that on one occasion, he could actually say:
Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in. (6:11)
 He was so conscious of the protection of the Lord

3) GOD'S GOOD HAND GIVES TO  BELIEVERS:

A/ In the immediate context, although the heathen pagan king is accredited with owning the forest (v8) yet we know better!
He is just the boy the Real Owner put in charge for a short while
The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof (Psalm 24:1)

B/ In everything we receive, we get it ultimately from the Lord via His agents.
His agents don't have to be godly people either
Omnipotence has servants everywhere
Every single event that ever happens is all part of all things working together for good to them that love God (Romans 8:28)
It is so that God can meet our every need
He doesn't always use miracles  - the supernatural interventions which suspend the laws/nature and impose from above
He often uses the providential dealings where the laws/nature are worked and the supernatural unneeded
But either way…we must acknowledge that this is the good hand of God meeting our need

C/ It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord (Psalm 92:1) and to thank Him for His gracious provisions to us
If God closed His hand and withheld these things, how quickly we would perish, not because the enemy came and attacked us, but just because we are do dependent on God for all that we have

4) GOD'S GOOD HAND POINTS  BELIEVERS:

It points us in the right direction re: His will for us

A/ Nehemiah was a true patriot. His heart longed for Jerusalem
It broke his heart to be separated from her as she lay in ruins
But he didn't put on his coat and take the next bus there, pleading duty and patriotism

B/ He fasted and prayed (1:4) He pleaded the promises/God (1:9) and when He went in before the king (2:1-3) and the door seemed to open again (2:4) he did not automatically push it open, but again he prayed (2:4)
He would not go beyond what God desired.
If God's finger didn't beckon, he didn't come and if God's finger didn't point, he didn't go

C/ Even though we (in our folly/short-sighted ways) might be sometimes disappointed by the way, God's finger points us, yet we must always acknowledge: it is His good hand that so points

D/ The worse thing God could do to us is simply to leave us to our own devices…which leads us to our last point:

5) GOD'S GOOD HAND CHECKS  BELIEVERS:

A/ It is a blessing: God puts His good hand to the doors we try to open.
He hold us back when we would destroy ourselves and frustrates our self serving little plans.
What mercy!   

B/ Bless God for His good hand that so checks our foolish and wayward course and ever pray that it doesn't grow weary in such well doing or wither away

C/ A sign/reprobation when God lightens His hand in this aspect Pharaoh hastened unrestrained to the Red Sea
Better example again:
Foolish Judas struck an easy deal with the Pharisees and was allowed to hang himself
while foolish Peter endured but the embarrassment of a wee girl's curiosity
Judas was a Reprobate…Peter was a true child/God and held in merciful check.

CONCLUSION: Thank God for His good hand that is ever upon us