#7 You’re reading the wrong palm
“See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;”[1]
For some
reason, this scripture from Isaiah just jumped out at me while reading it one
day. I immediately thought of all the palm readers and their vain attempts to foretell
someone’s future by reading the lines on the palm of their hand or for someone
else. Along with Tarot cards and Ouija boards, this fascination with trying to
foretell the future is in direct contradiction to numerous warnings in
scripture about fortune telling, such as Israel being commanded “Do not practice divination or sorcery.”[2]
I think that
this prophecy from Isaiah in part foretells the crucifixion of the Messiah –
God in the flesh. Even these days, there are plenty of shops with a neon palm
advertising palm readers who will read our palms to foretell our future. I am
always tempted to just open the door and poke my head inside and say to the
reader, “You’re reading the wrong palm!” Our palms do not direct or foretell
our future, only Jesus’ does. Our destiny is written in the nail-scarred hands
of Jesus, not the stars or cards or fortune telling. Palm readers all these
years have been reading the wrong palm!
“Doubting”
Thomas wanted to see the nail-scarred hands before he would believe that Jesus
had risen from the dead.
24Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve,
was not with the disciples when Jesus came.
25So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the
Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands
and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will
not believe."
26A week later his disciples were in the house again,
and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood
among them and said, "Peace be with you!" 27Then he said to Thomas,
"Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop
doubting and believe." 28Thomas
said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
29Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you
have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."[3]
Thomas knew
which palm to read, and he demanded to see the resurrected Jesus’ nail-scarred
hands, because then Thomas would know that this was the Jesus he knew, and not
some shadowy apparition or figment of the disciples’ imagination. This was the hand of the one who gave His
life for all humanity, so those who would believe in Him would have eternal
life and it was His palm which gave that assurance. And it is in Jesus’s hands
that we find our future, not our own palm.
Please write
a short Comment at the bottom of this post if you have some thoughts about this
scripture. If this is an email, click on the Blog hyperlink to take you to the
Blog so you will be able to comment. Pass this along to your friends too.
No comments:
Post a Comment