Engraved on His Hands

 

Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the LORD has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted. But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.” “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. (Isaiah 49:13-16 ESV).

 

Our reading today is one of those favorites that is often memorized and quoted. However, the principal verse is often translated incorrectly “I have engraved your name on the palms of my hands.” Actually, the word picture in the Prophet Isaiah’s writing indicates that God has engraved not our names, but our very selves, on his hands. The point is to show that God loves us, cares for us, and will never forget us. We are always in the palm of His hand and thus in His mind.

 

Perhaps you have fallen into the habit of carrying notepaper with you to write reminders for later; or, you have mastered the technology at our fingertips with the “Notes” app on your phone. I have not been able to do either. I always seem to forget that my phone will do that, or worse, I will not have paper to write on. So, I have developed a habit of writing on my hands. It may be a phone number or address, or even a reminder that always seems to be important at that moment.

 

Life is a serious pursuit. The end is already determined for believers. It will end with Jesus’ victory and his hands still holding us securely. Those hands were scarred by the nails of the cross, but he promised that he would never let go of his loved ones. All who have been called to faith in him as Lord and Savior are safe and secure in the palms of his hands.

 

As Jesus promised, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand” (John 10:28-29). He will never forget us or forsake us. Lent is a good time to reflect on God’s powerful hands—and to see ourselves engraved there.