August 13
. . . So I will save you and you shall be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong. Zechariah 8:13
As he lay sleeping from exhaustion, I held his hand in mine. It had been a trying time as we anxiously awaited test results; results that we had been forewarned did not look to be positive. As I massaged his hand, my heart ached with concern for him; for us and for all our family. His hands, large and calloused from years of hard work always seemed to have the ability to do anything and yet despite their strength, were so gentle. I thought about him holding our children, caressing them as babies and guiding their steps as they got older in his gentle way. I thought about watching our grandchildren with him and the special love they share with their dear “Papa;” his precious little ones now on the receiving end of all his goodness and tenderness. He always told me that he is a good locksmith because he has the capability to sense through his fingertips, the proper placement of things. He’d say, “It’s a feeling, I cannot describe it, or how I do it.” I know it is a wondrous gift from God, this ability. But as the darkness of the night enveloped me, my fears heightened, for his sleeping hand, limp in mine, did not possess its usual strength. Then as he stirred I felt his grip tighten. I felt the energy and strength return again in his precious hands and I began to feel reassured about everything. Awake now, he began to talk about his concerns, the days ahead and all he hoped we would do together.
God tells us in this verse to gather up our courage, to continue with all the strength we have in our hands and without fear, to work on the building of His Temple, starting with the one that is each of us. He reassures us that we will be saved from any difficulty presented before us. We may not fully comprehend the manner in which we are saved, but nonetheless, we will be saved by Him, and in that saving we will be a blessing.
Look at your hands. Look at the hands of those you love. When we think about the strength and ability God placed in them, in these incredible gifts from God, no task is without being miraculous. Our hands can have the strength to complete any job, the gentleness to calm the most anxious of people and the ability to heal when we set our minds to it in prayer. Do not be afraid to try to accomplish whatever He is asking you to do. Do not be afraid to use your hands with the awesome strength God has given you.
Inexplicably, my husband’s test results were negative at that time; his physicians, admittedly, completely taken aback. Humbly, we are grateful to God for this blessing.
Father, strengthen us with courage so we may use our hands for the good of your people.
Copyright© 2014 Kathleen A. Matson
. . . So I will save you and you shall be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong. Zechariah 8:13
As he lay sleeping from exhaustion, I held his hand in mine. It had been a trying time as we anxiously awaited test results; results that we had been forewarned did not look to be positive. As I massaged his hand, my heart ached with concern for him; for us and for all our family. His hands, large and calloused from years of hard work always seemed to have the ability to do anything and yet despite their strength, were so gentle. I thought about him holding our children, caressing them as babies and guiding their steps as they got older in his gentle way. I thought about watching our grandchildren with him and the special love they share with their dear “Papa;” his precious little ones now on the receiving end of all his goodness and tenderness. He always told me that he is a good locksmith because he has the capability to sense through his fingertips, the proper placement of things. He’d say, “It’s a feeling, I cannot describe it, or how I do it.” I know it is a wondrous gift from God, this ability. But as the darkness of the night enveloped me, my fears heightened, for his sleeping hand, limp in mine, did not possess its usual strength. Then as he stirred I felt his grip tighten. I felt the energy and strength return again in his precious hands and I began to feel reassured about everything. Awake now, he began to talk about his concerns, the days ahead and all he hoped we would do together.
God tells us in this verse to gather up our courage, to continue with all the strength we have in our hands and without fear, to work on the building of His Temple, starting with the one that is each of us. He reassures us that we will be saved from any difficulty presented before us. We may not fully comprehend the manner in which we are saved, but nonetheless, we will be saved by Him, and in that saving we will be a blessing.
Look at your hands. Look at the hands of those you love. When we think about the strength and ability God placed in them, in these incredible gifts from God, no task is without being miraculous. Our hands can have the strength to complete any job, the gentleness to calm the most anxious of people and the ability to heal when we set our minds to it in prayer. Do not be afraid to try to accomplish whatever He is asking you to do. Do not be afraid to use your hands with the awesome strength God has given you.
Inexplicably, my husband’s test results were negative at that time; his physicians, admittedly, completely taken aback. Humbly, we are grateful to God for this blessing.
Father, strengthen us with courage so we may use our hands for the good of your people.
Copyright© 2014 Kathleen A. Matson