In the Palms of His Hands

"See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands."
Isaiah 49:16

I love the book of Isaiah the prophet. God spoke some marvelous things through him, that have touched my life deeply over the years. This short word from God himself is so important to me that it is difficult to put into words. I am absolutely overwhelmed by God's amazing love for me.
    One day, when I was about nine years old, a couple of my friends and I decided that we would make a pact with each other. We had heard of this before, and because we were close friends, we decided that we would become "blood brothers." This involved using a knife to cut the palm of each person's hand and rub them together with the other boys. It didn't really have that much meaning to us, we simply thought that it would be, you know...cool. So we did it. It left a mark on each of our palms for some time, but soon they faded and even the memory of the moment was gone.
    But God has not forgotten. He has engraved me on the palms of his hands. In fact, his palms were pierced through with the nails that hung him on the cross. He became the ultimate "blood brother." He did this, not only for me, but for everyone. I'm not sure this is exactly what Isaiah the prophet was foreshadowing when he wrote these words, but it settles in my heart. Jesus has born my sin, simply because he loves me so much. He shed his blood, and his hands are forever engraved with my life and yours.
    Dear ones, we cannot fathom how much God loves us. It is not for the things we do for him. It is not for our volunteer efforts in the church, or missions, or anything else. No, he loves us because he chooses to love us. I am convinced that he loves the hearts, personalities, identities, and passions within each of us, because he created us uniquely. And his creation is marvelous, even in his own eyes.
    His love is immeasurable. It is so wondrous that generations have tried to express it through writings, music, stories, and sermons. Yet all of these are still inadequate to describe it. Today, know that you are loved by the God of the universe. He doesn't just think of you occasionally, you are always on his mind. And you are permanently engraved on his hands. Not just your name, but your whole life is written there. How great is the Father's love for us!