Monday, July 15, 2013

Can't keep my hands off of you

When I lived in Asia, I observed the custom of men holding hands as they walk. In case of a stumble, having someone there to lend a helping hand is a good thing. Even more, it is a declaration of friendship between 2 who have a hand in each other’s lives: “Two people are better than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one falls, the other can reach out and help” (Eccl. 4:9-11). On the same hand, God says, “Though the godly stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand” (Ps. 37:24).

Putting yourself in someone else’s hands is a sign of some dependence. That said, are we not, then, like putty in the hands of God? “As the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand” (Jeremiah 18:6)—a very challenging notion for the Western self-made-man who always wants to have the upper hand. Indeed, no dignified, liberated life form imagines himself a lump of clay.

When the Potter re-shapes you unexpectedly, do you respond, “Thy will be done,” or do you react, “Stop, you're doing it wrong! How clumsy can you be? What’s wrong with your hands” (Is. 45:9, NLT/NIV, ed). Every time we murmur about God's work in us, are we not saying, “keep your hands to yourself.” But how useless. He always wins hands down. And besides, He loves you far too much to keep His hands off of you!

2 comments:

  1. Talking about dependence. I was sharing with a friend about Psalm 25:1, how in Hebrew "to lift up one's soul" meant "to be entirely dependent upon sth". In our case upon the Lord.

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  2. yes, and it makes me think of how small children lift their hands up to their parents, wanting to be picked up. they are totally innocent in expecting their mommy and daddy to be there and to want to pick them up whenever they feel like it! When my son was 5, I had to stop picking him up because he was so heavy it was hurting my back. And to this day, and years later, he told me how hurt he was that I would no longer pick him up!

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