Isaiah 49:16 – Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before me.

THEME OF THE DAY: ENGRAVED IN THE PALMS OF HIS HANDS. Please go back and read today’s scripture. Notice what it doesn’t say. It doesn’t read, “Behold, I have put you in the palms of My hands written with dissolvable ink.” Nor does it say, “Behold, I have put you in the palms of My hands written with pencil easily erased.” What we read is not something fleeting or simply fades away over time. This is an aggressive act of God of His love which signifies permanence. The word “engraved” means “cut into”, “to carve”, and “to inscribe”. It is something done that will never or could ever be undone. And this engraving act of God implies two things. Let’s consider them for our encouragement and help in walking with the Lord.

First, being engraved in the palms of God’s hands means we are safe in the permanence of His love. Here is where the Christian life soars with joy and exultation of the Lord. No matter how much we fail Him; how many times we sin against Him; and how many times we choose our wills over His, there is no change in His love toward us. He does not “erase” our names out of the palms of His hands based on our always falling short obedience. And what does that do to us when we realize this steadfast truth of the Lord? It moves us to fail Him less; sin less; and surrenders our wills to His. Don’t lose sight of what motivates the Christian to God-honoring obedience. It isn’t exhortations alone. Nor will the bondage of guilt or slavish fear produce a life of obedience. The way to be excited about and disciplined toward obeying the Lord with a right motive is to be overwhelmed by His love for us. Or we may say, “Look at the palms of His hands”. If we want a Christian life spiritually consistent, spiritually deep, and lived out the way Jesus would have of us, seek to know more and more of His love (Ephesians 3:14-19). Love produces love and in the case of God’s love, it produces holy love in and from us; the very fruit He wants produced in our lives for His glory and the proclamation of His name.

Another truth implied in today’s scripture is the initiative of God’s love. Who did the engraving? It wasn’t us. It was the Lord Himself. And here is where we see the glorious sovereignty of God in our salvation. Take a moment and ponder these awe-inspiring and humility-producing words from the Apostle Paul, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love, He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:3-6). Work through this passage of scripture. Circle, underline, or highlight all the actions of God toward our salvation. Then do the same with our actions toward our salvation. God initiates salvation. It is His work before we do anything. Now that doesn’t mean we have no responsibility toward salvation. Ephesians 2:8 is still in our Bibles – “For by grace are you saved through faith” as is Romans 10:13 – “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” We are still responsible to exercise faith and call upon the Lord, but that is AFTER the work of sovereign election determined before the foundation of the world. Yes, I know this is hard, but do ourselves a big favor. Don’t try to untie knots God will not allow to be untied; like His sovereignty and our responsibility. Don’t debate it or try to figure it out. Embrace it, rest in it, and be overwhelmed by its love and sufficiency. God works in our salvation and we simply respond to His work in our salvation; a response of repentance and faith which are both gifts of His grace. And why such a response from us when irresistible grace comes our way? We are engraved in the palms of His hands.

Engraved in the palms of His hands. What a secure place to be as those hands are hands of Divine love and we are forever safe in such hands.

PRAYER: “Father, I praise You for Your sovereign grace that not only saves me, but keeps me.”

QUOTE: “Without grace, we would never come to God and without grace, we would never continue with God.”