The Strength of His Hands

Take a moment to look at your hands. No, really - take a moment to look at your hands...this blog will not go anywhere while you are staring at your hands.
Notice the uniqueness of your hand - from the lines that give your hand character to the fingerprints that are like no other fingerprints in the world, from the callouses that show years of work to the soft pliable folds that can gently caress a tear away. Listen as the scars tell the stories of how they came to be. Remember the hands that your hands have touched and held.
Now then, imagine that you were looking at the hand of Jesus instead of your own hand. Carpenter's hands roughened by years of labor, yet softened by an eternity of loving compassion. Teacher's hands that animatedly punctuated the stories he told. Healer's hands nimble and deft at touching in just the right manner to bring comfort and health. The Savior's hands - rough, soft, animated, lively, nimble, deft...and nailed to the cross.
Can you focus in on Jesus' hand nailed to the cross? Can you imagine the pain of that nail protruding from your own hand? Wouldn't that pain drive you to the point that you would do anything to cause it go away? If it were in your power, wouldn't you pull your hand off of that cross, remove the nail, and walk away?
Isn't that the remarkable thing about God's love shown to us in His son, Jesus Christ? For he did have the power to pull his hand away from the cross. He could have pulled the nail out and walked away. He had the strength, he had the ability, he had the power to escape the cross. But he didn't. Instead of using the strength of his hand to pull away, he used the strength of his hand to stay...suspended on a cross, nailed to a tree, dying for you and me.

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." -- Hebrews 12:2

Life as I know it is best when I remember the strength of the Savior's hand and realize that he is capable of holding me safely in his grasp.