The New American Standard Bible mentions hands 1550 times. Did you know the Lord states we are written onto His hands? The Orthodox Jewish Bible translates it as engraved into His hands. The following verse in several translations demonstrate this love for us.
Isaiah 49:16 (NASB)
Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;….
Isaiah 49:16 (VOICE)
Look here. I have made you a part of Me, written you on the palms of My hands.
Isaiah 49:16 (MSG)
I’d never forget you—never.
Look, I’ve written your names on the backs of my hands
God wrote your name on His hand. He tattooed your name on the back of the hands that created all things. He promises never to forget you or abandon you. Will painful events occur in our lives? Yes, but God vows to never leaves us. He pours His love, His comfort, His strength, and His peace into us.
In December 2009, I asked the Lord for an anchor verse for 2010. He led me to Psalms 31:14-15 (NASB).
But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord,
I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in Your hand;
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me.
The Message paraphrases it as the following:
Desperate, I throw myself on you:
you are my God!
Hour by hour I place my days in your hand,
safe from the hands out to get me.
Four months later the doctor diagnosed me with stage two breast cancer. But God prepared me for this journey and I knew that He planned for me to experience His joy throughout. If my life here ended by cancer I knew my life in Heaven began. I anticipated blessings beyond measure as the Lord carried me on this venture and he poured them into my life.
Hands first touched us at our birth. But God’s hands wove us and formed us in our mothers’ wombs. His hands held us, comforted us, strengthened us. Throughout our lives His hands will continue embracing us in our joys, struggles, and sorrows. He holds us in His hands into which He engraved our names. He will never forget us. He will never abandon us. He loves us.
“Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”
Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.”
The Voice (VOICE)
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
Jan K Willis, Author 