Hands

 I have always been fascinated with hands. I remember my mother-in-law looking at her hands amazed at how they had gotten so old. Her skin was fragile, thin, and discolored, and up next to the hands of a younger person they could indeed be considered old. I remember a four-generation picture taken of Kellan, my grandson, my daughter Mendy, myself, and my mom. Along with the typical picture of us all, our hands with my mom’s hand on the bottom and our sweet Kellan’s baby hand on top was taken.  Quite telling I thought. Where had those hands been in the span of time they had been on earth? Baby hands that had barely touched life along with hands that had soothed babies, been held by toddlers, and hands that had embraced grown children in their time of need. These hands had greeted those around them with a friendly handshake or a happy wave to a neighbor. Many times I had looked at the hands of my patients when I worked at the hospital and found that hands now old and maybe twisted from years of arthritis when young were once very productive. As our eyes see a helpless old soul unable to care for themselves, we need to remind ourselves that those hands once touched their world for good. 

It was the hand of Elijah’s servant who measured the cloud of hope, the bible says the cloud was the size of a man’s hand.

It was a time when my heart seemed to reflect the hopelessness of the headlines in my media feed. I have been praying for a revival or what some call a “Great Awakening of the church,” in this country for some time, but on this dreary day, as I looked at the world, all I could see was rampant sin and a non-essential church. The thought I had was that the world is upside down. The right was called wrong, and wrong was called right.  A bible verse in Isaiah came to mind as I pondered this discouraging thought.

What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light, and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.

Isaiah 5:20 NLT

Can you think of anything more descriptive of these times than this verse? Troubled at the absolute truth of this verse, I was led to a story in 1 Kings 18th chapter. It is a story of Elijah, who was praying for rain in a drought brought about by disobedience of the people.  Elijah went on top of a mountain and began to pray. As he prayed, he sent a servant to look for clouds approaching that would indicate rain was coming. After six trips, no clouds were seen on the horizon of Elijah’s prayers. Have you ever felt this way? No hope in sight? But as the weary servant looked into the sky the seventh time, he ran back to the praying prophet to report that a cloud the size of a man’s hand could be seen rising from the sea. This verse gave me hope that, indeed, prayers were being answered for the newness of hearts and people again would be on fire for God. Hope, as big as a man’s hand, could be seen rising in my heart too. The hope of an awakening of God’s sleeping church flooded my heart. Thoughts came to mind of the evidence that God’s work had already begun in this world despite the sinfulness.   The Church Triumphant is alive and well as one of my favorite songs goes.  At the report of the cloud, Elijah’s hope is evident when he told King Ahab to go home before the floods came. Beware, everyone, get your umbrellas, you too will get a drenching with the blessing that will flood this world as God’s people wake up! As we dozers see the light of Jesus in the hearts of the people of this country, we will know that God still reigns. A Great Awakening is coming.

Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.” “At the same time I see revival of young people all over the country.” Then Elijah shouted, hurry to Ahab and tell him, climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry the rain will stop you.  1 Kings 18:45

It’s beginning to rain as the Holy Spirt touches the lives in our fallen world. “Holy Spirit Rain Down” a contemporary song of our time.