Two Hands that are ONE

I've been searching for Jesus in the Psalms. Of course He is there. He was there all the time. I just wasn't particularly looking for Him in the Psalms until now. As I am finding Him, He is graciously allowing me to take the hand of others and lead them with me into waters deep and crystal clear. At the same time, the evil one is battering me, hoping to discourage me so I will retire to the spectator's stand. Some days I become so weary that I can barely make it to the ever-bubbling spring to drink. ...and then will come words of Truth and encouragement from another Who pants after the waterbrook and is drinking deeply. Another day she or he will need to be comforted with His words that pour from the bubbling spring that never runs dry. Pity the Christian who struggles to navigate alone through the landmines on his battlefield. Yet, in our loneliest hours, and there are many, only Jesus is our Comfort, and we cry out to Him, and He gathers us into His mighty, but gentle arms and gives us hope as we whisper His powerful promises back to Him.

Today, because of my search for Jesus in the Psalms, I am led to the most familiar of songs written by David: The Blessed Twenty-third. This warrior with a heart that was willing to expose his emotions, wrote these words over 3,000 years ago. They are fresh, crisp and relevant; written to us personally.

Note that all of the pronouns are singular: "The Lord is MY Shepherd; I shall not want; He maketh ME to lie down... He leadeth ME... Thou art with ME. How soothing to sense my Shepherd's individual attention to MY needs. In these short six verses, we find the words "I", "my", and "me" seventeen times. In this Psalm one of the sheep is speaking.

If we turn to John 10:27-30 we discover the other side of the Shepherd Psalm. The Shepherd is speaking. Note the word "hand".

"My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them to me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand".

Two hands. One, the hand of Jesus; the other, the hand of the Father. Picture the Father's hand resting over the hand of Jesus, then think of yourself being safely held between them. No man, no demon, no devil can ever pluck us from the safety of the Father and the Son's hands.

...and then the Lord completes this beautiful picture by saying: "I and my Father are One." Those two hands cannot be separated.

HYMN OF THE WEEK: "The Lord's my Shepherd, I'll not Want"

The Lord's my Shepherd, I'll not want, He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me the silent waters by.

Yea, though I walk through shadowed vale, yet will I fear no ill
For Thou art with me and Thy rod and staff me comfort still.

Goodness and mercy all my days shall surely follow me
And in my Father's house always my dwelling place shall be.


Love, Jo