Hands

 "But I trust in you, Lord; I say, 'You are my God.' My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me.'" Psalm 31: 14, 15

    Think of everything we do with our hands. From the moment we arise, we are using them to brush our teeth, eat breakfast, drive to work, perform tasks, carry items, flip pages in a book and so on. We use them to convey emotions or to emphasize meaning while we interact with others. Hands can be used for good things or to perpetuate evil. Think of rude gestures or slapping someone or even, God forbid, taking the life of another. 

    Today, I spent time watching the hands of Jesus and all that they did in the Gospels. When visiting Peter's mother-in-law who was ill, Jesus touched her hand and the fever left her. 

    In the middle of his teaching about wineskins, a synagogue leader knelt before Him pleading, "My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live." (Matthew 9:18) The scriptures tell us, "He went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up." (vs. 25) Imagine that? Such simple words to describe something so incredible as a resurrection!

    Parents of little children came to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them and to pray for them. (Matt. 19:13) We don't have to be Bible characters to have the benefit of Jesus praying for our little ones. I know He intercedes for us as believers, going to the Father on our behalf. (See Romans 8:34)

    Then there was Peter, who had the faith to step out of the boat in the middle of a tempest on the Sea of Galilee, walking on water toward Jesus. But, fear overtook him and he began to sink. "Lord, save me!" he cried out. "Immediately, Jesus reached out his hand and caught him." (Matt. 14:31)

    Jesus did many other wondrous works with his hands as He taught and healed others with divine compassion. But then came the nefarious hands bearing evil intent. 

    Three times, Jesus solemnly spoke to His disciples about what lay ahead: "When they came together in Galilee, He said to them, 'The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and on the third day He will be raised to life.'" (Matt. 17: 22, 23) 

    At the Last Supper, after having had his feet washed by our Lord, Judas was the one who dipped his hand into the bowl, indicating he was the one who would betray Jesus. As a result, Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane: "Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners." (Matt. 26:45)

    Our hearts are rent asunder when we read what the soldiers did with their hands: "They they spit in His face and struck Him with their fists. Others slapped Him and said, 'Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?'" (Matt. 26: 67, 68) "They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head. They put a staff in His right hand. Then they knelt in front of Him and mocked Him." (Matt. 27: 28, 29)

    It has been said that we, as followers of Christ, are His hands and feet. Am I using my hands to soothe, direct or otherwise minister to those in need around me? Or are my fists balled in obstinance, refusing to let the love flow from a generous heart? Will I willingly wash feet, pray for children or reach out a helping hand to those who are perishing? 

    He took the nails for me; what shall I do for Him?

"Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Stop doubting and believe." John 20:27

    

Loving Lavishly

 "See what great love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God!" 1 John 3:1

    The verse above says God "lavished" His love on us. Wanting to know more, I looked up the word "lavish." It means "very generous or liberal in giving or spending, extravagantly so; prodigal." That word "prodigal" reminded me of Jesus' parable about The Prodigal Son so I looked up that word, too. It's definition is "exceedingly or recklessly wasteful, extremely generous; lavish, profuse."

    Lavish, indeed! "You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows." (Psalm 23) "Test me in this and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." (Malachi 3) "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap." (Luke 6)

    Have I loved Jesus in return as He has loved me? 

    My heartfelt prayer this Lenten season is that I love Jesus with the same abandon as did this woman in the gospel of Mark:

    "While He was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on His head." Some present were indignant about this perceived "waste" of perfume, which was worth about a year's wages. 

    In response to this, Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me...She did what she could." (Mark 14: 6, 8)

    The woman broke the jar so there was no going back, no effort could be made to save some perfume for herself. She went all in, publicly, undeniably, extravagantly. As the aroma filled the air and poured out into the streets, her love for Christ became common knowledge. Indeed, Jesus had said that "wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her." (Mark 14:9)

    Oh, Jesus, who has loved me so lavishly that You laid down your life for me, may I spare no expense, may I never think twice about how it looks to anyone else, but may I just love you wastefully, recklessly, extremely so! I want to be remembered for doing something beautiful for You! Grant me a grateful heart so I will do whatever I can for You. Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, worth all I have to give, which will never be enough.

"What language shall I borrow 

To thank Thee, dearest Friend,

For this Thy dying sorrow,

Thy pity without end?

Oh, make me Thine forever!

And should I fainting be,

Lord, let me never, never,

Outlive my love for Thee."

-from the hymn, "O Sacred Head Now Wounded"

"But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What's more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them as garbage..." Philippians 3: 7, 8

He'll Leave the Light on for You

 "Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your Presence?...If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,' even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You." Psalm 139: 7, 11

    When I was a child, I feared being alone especially at night. Because my older sisters were closer in age, they shared a room while I had one of my own. While this might seem ideal to some, it was a bane to me. I sought reassurance each night as darkness settled upon me like a damp blanket. 

    "What time is it?' I'd call out to Mother. "Nine o'clock," came the tired reply. "Now go to sleep." 

    I'd try to converse with my siblings across the hall, a temporary fix. Finally, I was given a radio to dispel the deepening gloom of loneliness.

    As I grew in body and faith, securely sealed by the Spirit, I viewed the Presence of Christ in me as a flashlight that would cast light into the unknown as I entered its realm. Yet, the more I learned about the omnipresence of our God, I have had to revise my view. He is not merely a light that comes with me; He has gone on before me, turning on all the lights along the way!

    Upon the exodus from Egypt, the children of Israel had His glorious Presence with them in their wilderness: "By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night." (Exodus 13:21) 

   Since the cross and the empty tomb, God has gone one better than the pillars - His very Spirit resides in me, closer than my own heart. No person or no thing can ever turn off the Light.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

"God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all." 1 John 1:5

    

Believing is Seeing

 "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." Luke 24:34

    Easter is approaching. I can tell by the pastel proliferation of bunnies and eggs at Home Goods, among other places. Have you ever asked yourself what lies beneath the cutesy accoutrements of this spring season? If we peer through the smoke screen with which Satan has obscured the truth, what will we find? 

    An empty tomb. Jesus lives and Satan doesn't want you to know that! Otherwise, you would live in victory. 

    How do I know that Jesus lives if I wasn't there to see it for myself? I have proof. Just as in the verse above, I can declare, "It is true! The Lord has risen." Here's how I know:

    Dementia shrouded my father's mind during the last year and a half of his life. Anyone who has witnessed the slow decline caused by this disease can testify to the sadness and frustration involved. It was especially cruel for my mom whose husband did not know her after sixty-two years of marriage. The mental limitations combined with the physical ailments took their toll and, toward the end, my dad was admitted to a nursing home.

    One Sunday afternoon, my sisters called me from there. "Rachel, you need to come down here (to the nursing home)," they implored. "We are here with mom." 

    Fearing the worst, I went with some measure of trepidation. But do you know what happened? The same Jesus, who rebuked the raging sea for the disciples, calmed the storm of dementia for a few hours that afternoon. My father, so fine and so brave, was back as he used to be!  Just as if he had returned from a long trip, we were excited to speak with him. When I hugged him, he told me one of his favorite corny jokes which was, "A woman should be an armful, never a handful." 

    When our joyous reunion ended, the cloud of confusion returned. Three days later, Jesus called him home. 

    As the hymn goes, "I know that my Redeemer lives; What comfort this sweet sentence gives." Who but the One who has been given all authority in heaven and earth, could perform such a feat? But a Savior who has authority over life and death, who loves me so much that He would grant me one last time with my father, this is my Jesus, my Redeemer who lives. And I am a witness.

"God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses." Acts 2:32

A New Tattoo

 "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: 15, 16

    From her earliest memories, Meghan Connors was sold by those who were supposed to take care of her. At age 31, she had never known anything but trauma and abuse. Any attempts to gain freedom were met with beatings and unwanted tattooing to remind her that she was owned. Her body paid the bills.

    One day, with the right mixture of guts and circumstances, Meghan broke free from her physical bondage, but it wasn't until she met Jesus Christ that she truly became a new creation. She found love for the first time. 

    To aid in putting her past behind her, she had her tattoos covered over with beautiful new ones of her own designs. As the artist worked to complete the task, tears freely flowed as Meghan released her pain.

    Just as a fresh blanket of snow covers the muddy ruts of a scarred land, the blood of Jesus washes away our sins, our bitterness, our painful hurts and traumas. What happened to Meghan is a perfect illustration of what it means to be redeemed: Jesus paid the price to buy us back from slavery and bondage. "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:36) 

    The lyrics of a Gaither song come to mind: "Something beautiful, something good; all my confusion, He understood. All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife, but He made something beautiful of my life."

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!" 2 Corinthians 5:17

"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name. You are mine." Isaiah 43:1

      

Seeds of Promise

 "Then God said, 'Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seeds in it, according to their various kinds.' And it was so." Genesis 1:11

    After paring a pear this morning, as I gathered up the stem and core, a small brown seed captured my attention. It was a tiny, tangible reminder of the faithfulness of God; a promise within a seed. Every since He created the world, pears have been providing the necessary seeds for more pears without fail. That seed in my hand, if planted would not produce an apple tree, nor would a stately oak emerge. No, just as God said, it will bear fruit according to its kind. 

    How simply amazing and easy it is to believe in our Creator! The seasons come and go in a rotation according to His divine plan. A new day dawns and comes to a close with the precision of clockwork. Knowing that my soul is more precious than many sparrows and that I have been created in the very image of God, to believe in any other explanation for my being here is pure blasphemy. To believe in evolution is to call God a liar, plain and simple.

    That wee pear seed has a place of honor on my kitchen windowsill where its sight will remind me of my Creator God. If you ever doubt the very real presence of God, just pare a pear. All the evidence you need is right there.

"Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures. Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you." Psalm 119: 89-91 

Be Utterly Amazed!

 "Look at the nations and watch - and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told." Habakkuk 1:5

    A few days ago, a Christian friend texted me saying, "Have you heard what's going on in Asbury?" I watched the link she sent which told the news of a revival going on at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. Since then, more reports have been pouring in of this amazing outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

    Alison Perfater, the student body president of the university, was interviewed by Tucker Carlson. What began as a regularly scheduled chapel service at this private Christian college transformed into an unplanned revival that is drawing attention around the globe. It's been reported people from Singapore, Brazil, Indonesia, New Zealand and Italy have either come in person or have joined via social media. 

    An excited Alison told Tucker, "There's a young army of believers who are rising to claim Christianity as their own." Hundreds of calls have flooded their switchboard and overflow areas have been made available to accommodate the growing crowd as the worship continues for over 144 hours now. As Alison said, "The Holy Spirit interceded for us here at Asbury...No one wants to leave!"

    Justin Knoop shared a video on Instagram of a woman at this revival who, it was thought initially needed medical assistance, but was actually possessed by a demon, who was then driven out in the Name of Jesus by the prayers of others, shrieking as it left her. Praises were raised for this victory!

    This generation of students have endured the pandemic, the riots and cultural divisions in this scarred land which generated loneliness and the need for unity. Set aside any reservations you may have and let your heart rejoice in the utterly amazing things God is doing. Strongholds are being broken. Spiritual battles are being won. God is flexing the muscles of his righteous right arm reminding us that no purpose of His can ever be thwarted! Hallelujah, amen.

"If my people, who are called by my Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14