There is a message in your hands and I believe God wants you to read it. For just a minute, hold out your hands—palms up. What do you see? When I stop to look, I find supple skin etched with a hundred creases, and calluses that stand like old mile markers. If I peer closer, I can decipher the faint glow of a hidden vein.
When God opens his hands, do you know what he sees? He sees you!
In Isaiah’s day, Jews, zealous for Jerusalem, would put a tattoo of the city on the palm of their hands. It was a visual reminder of their beloved homeland that demonstrated the fervor which flowed through their veins. God used that familiar image to drive home an important point about his love.
Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me." Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me. (Isaiah 49:13-16 NIV)
The prophet Isaiah put ink to paper at a time when the nation of Israel doubted God’s love. It is a doubt that can creep into my mind. How about yours? That is why God’s message is unequivocal: I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. Does God still care? You better believe it! God says, “I haven’t forgotten you. I see your face, your trials, your joys, your heartaches—you are right here, engraved in the palm of my hand.”
STAY FOCUSED TODAY:Look at your hands often today. Every time you do, let it remind you that God loves you so much. It is as if he has engraved your picture on the palm of his hand.