In the Hollow of His Hand

e-message from Lutherans For Life

Dear Brigitte,

"See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
your walls are ever before me" Isaiah 49:16 (NIV).



LFL's 2008 Life Sunday theme, In the Hand of God, not only proclaims the value of human life given by God's creating and redeeming hands, it also shares a powerful message of hope for those God has called in Christ and holds in His hands. This hope is more than a nice sounding word associated with some religious or theological teaching. This is a real, practical hope that sustains Christ's people in ordinary, everyday struggles and especially in those out of the ordinary struggles.

Many Christians here in Iowa and the Midwest now face those out of the ordinary struggles because of flooded businesses, homes, and fields. When you don't understand, when you are mentally weary and physically exhausted, there is hope in knowing God's strong and mighty hands hold you.

He holds you in His "palm" the deep, protected, hollow of His hands. And note that you are not just held, God engraved you there! You find hope knowing that nail-scarred hands hold you. A God who knows about suffering holds you. A God who suffered holds you. A God who brings great good out of great suffering holds you. As He shaped and formed you in the womb with His hands, so He shapes and forms you through the sufferings in your life as He holds you in His hands.

We pray the message of being held in God's hands will comfort, strengthen, and give hope to those who must meet the challenges of cleaning up and rebuilding. We pray this devastation will give opportunity to share this message of hope and life with others as we offer our hands and our help.

In the Hand of God is more than a theme. It's a very practical message of hope that makes a difference in people's lives.

Your servant For Life,

Jim Lamb

Executive Director

PS. from Brigitte: When my mother had cancer, which turned out to be terminal, she loved am image of a sculpture, where a small figure of a person was cradled into a palm. You can see the image above. The artist is Dorothea Steigerwald.