Engraved in His Hands

"

So don’t worry, because I am with you. Don’t be afraid, because I am your God. I will make you strong and will help you; I will support you with my right hand that saves you." -Isaiah 41:10

We’ve been spending a lot of time in the Bible finding encouraging words and uplifting thoughts. I thought it would be fun to get us thinking about what the Bible is really saying. Once a month let's dive deeper into the Bible and look at some verses that we can draw more meaning from. This month we are going to look at Isaiah 49:16, “Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.”

Many times we have run out of paper and need to jot some number or information down quickly. At those times we usually just quickly jotted that information down on our hands to write on paper later, and it disappears easily. But when we look closely at this verse we read that God doesn’t just jot down our names but engraves them into the palm of His hands - not just one hand but both hands.

What does engrave mean… to cut or carve lines, letters, designs, etc., onto or into a surface. Engraving is permanent. It cannot be erased and what God engraves stays engraved. God never writes something down only to pull out an eraser. God keeps us close to Him through all circumstances.

Remember the hymn, He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands. The words say, He’s got the wind, and the rain, and tiny little babe and even me in His hands. Sometimes we forget that, but God doesn’t. He not only has you and me in His hands but He's got our future, our children, our circumstances, our friends, and our foes in His hands...within His grasp...under His control.

But, there are times when our fears slip in and we find it hard to believe are circumstances are truly in God’s hands. Our life's minor interruptions as well as major calamities are right there in God’s hands. And let’s go a little further, God adds in Isaiah, “your walls are continually before me.” One meaning we can gain from this is that no matter where we are, we are constantly in God’s view. God knows our needs and ways and not just for a brief moment, but continually. That means our experiences, our trials, our responses and reactions. What we call dead ends, He say’s “Don’t worry, I’ve got this. You are in my hands.”

So as the song goes God’s got you and me, the wind and the rain, and the tiny little baby in His hands. He has yesterday's failures, He has today's challenges, He has tomorrow's surprises right there in His hands. He's got the whole world in His hands. What's more, He has inscribed you and me on His palms. Things aren't out of control because God is in control.