To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he has mercy upon us. Psalm 120:1-2
In the ancient world, the servants and their masters communicated by hand signals. It was the servant’s job to watch their master’s hands carefully and to respond immediately when they saw a signal. A wave, a point of a finger, a scratch behind the ear all meant something. The same idea is found even today in sports isn’t it? Coaches, catchers, pitchers, quarterbacks all use hand signals to tell their players what to do next.
We talk about hands a lot in our language. If someone is willing to help out, they are handy. They will lend a hand to someone in need of a hand out. If they ask, that eager to help person will give them a hands up. Hands are important. We wring them when anxious, clap them when excited, clasp them together in prayer and raise them up in praise.
Are you watching your Master’s hands? The ones that made the heavens and the earth; the one with nail scars in it. These are the hands that send us forth to proclaim His grace and are there to comfort us when we need mercy. Loving, strong hands that hold us and everything else together. We talk about being in the hands of God. If we truly are, any slight movement will get our attention. When He motions, do you obey immediately?
Dear Lord, in You we move and have our being: we are truly in Your hands, as is all of creation. You stretched out your hands on the cross and offered yourself for us, taking on our sins and being the perfect offering for our atonement. Today, show us mercy so we may show the same to others. Let us always be watchful and so in tuned to Your will that we know at the slightest movement, when You want us to to be Your hands here on earth. Then let us use our hands to serve and point to You as the source of our love and strength. Amen.
May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us–yes, establish the work of our hands. Psalm 90:17
