“It is I who made the earth, and created man upon it.
I stretched out the heavens with My hands
And I ordained all their host.”
Isaiah 45:12 NASB
“See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”
Luke 24:39 NASB
Grace Perspective:
God’s hands created the earth and all it contains, including His most precious creation, human beings. He designed us in His image (see Genesis 1:26-27) with His hands, forming us from dust and breathing His breath into our lungs. (see Genesis 2:7) God spoke the Universe into being, but He specifically created us in His image. Though God the Father does not take on a physical appearance, God the Son came to earth in the form of a man to redeem us from the penalty of sin.
In the passage from Luke 24:39, Jesus offered His hands as proof that He was alive after being crucified on a cross, wrapped in a linen burial shroud, and laid in a tomb. He rose from the grave, as He said He would, and to the astonishment of His disciples came to them to prove that He was indeed alive. He showed the disciples His hands and feet, that though they were scarred from the nails that held Him to the cross, He was alive.
The hands that formed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden are the same hands that created each of us in our mother’s womb. These are the hands that chose to be nailed to the cross for our sake, taking the punishment for our sin, redeeming us from the pit of Hell so that we may one day enter into the Kingdom of Heaven and see for ourselves His gracious hands.
A Touch of Grace:
What are your thoughts about the hands that formed you?
How do you see the hands that were nailed to the cross for you?
Grace Application:
God used His hands to form each of us, creating us in His image and in His likeness. He gave us hands also. Hands we use to create, form, touch, lift, and carry…think of all that your hands do each day.
Today is Thanksgiving, a day set aside to purposefully ponder all we have to be thankful for. In the days leading up to one of my favorite Holiday’s God’s hands kept coming to my mind. The fact that He chose to make us with His very hands fills me with awe. He created us in His image so that one day He would come to earth as a man to save us from sin. Wow!!! God always had a plan in place to rescue us from sin. His hands that formed us also saved us. The hands that took dust in the Garden of Eden also took the nails on the cross. What a powerful thought that is worthy of much thanksgiving.
As I have been thinking about God’s gracious hands, I also have thought a lot about another set of hands that have given me so much. My precious Momma’s hands. This is my first Thanksgiving without her here on earth. I spent most Thanksgiving holidays with her, cooking yummy foods, surrounded by those we love. My Momma used her hands to teach me so many things. As a child, she would hold my hand to comfort me, lead me, keep me safe, and sometimes discipline me with a well-deserved spanking. She used her hands to teach my children to make some of their favorite goodies, no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies and sausage cheese balls.
One of the sweetest memories I have is from last Christmas. At the end of the day, Momma and I sat together on the couch, snuggled up with a blanket and picture hymn book. I held her hand, and she turned the pages in the book. Together we sang the Hymns of praise to the God we love. Though she forgot much because of Alzheimer’s, she remembered the songs she sang her whole life, songs of thanksgiving for the gracious hands that formed her and saved her.
I pray that as you go through this day, which I know will not be easy for many who will miss the hands that are no longer here to hold, that you will remember the hands that formed you and the One whose hands still bear the scars of the nails that held Him to the cross because He loves you. May His gracious hands comfort you today and all the days ahead.
Prayer:
Gracious Father, I come to You in the precious name of Jesus Christ, thankful for Your hands that formed the earth and all it contains. Jesus, thank You for choosing the nails that held you to the cross, bearing the penalty for my sin. Lord, create in me a heart filled with thanksgiving for You and help me to use my hands to lead others to You. Amen
**Today, as you read this, I pray each of you will know for sure you are in Christ Jesus. If you have any doubts, please call out to God so that all doubt is erased. Today is a good day to be assured of Salvation in Christ Jesus. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at graceisdawning@gmail.com**