Engraved

Here is something from my journal on 3-11-08. I had been studying joy and the kindness and goodness of God. Isaiah 49:16 tells me that He has engraved me on the palm of his hand.

The Hebrew word for engraved is CHAQAQ and it means "to hack". The Hebrew word was used for the act of cutting or chiseling laws into tablets of stone, yet I believe God applies it to the cutting of his children's names unto the very palms of His hands, arguably the most tender place on the human body. This passage paints a wonderful picture-the engraving of the names of the redeemed in the broken body of Jesus. The names carved into the hand of God were written by the precious blood of His Son! (This paragraph in blue is from Beth Moore's Living Beyond Yourself page 140.)

I am His child. He has called me. He engraved my name before the foundation of the earth. I believe! I have joy in salvation...the thief comes only to kill, steal, and destroy...so when I doubt and question excessively-the enemy steals my joy. Then I'm not contagious and the world does not see anything different in me. I will not let that happen! I will listen to the voice of truth as he calls to his beloved daughter.

Lord let us consistently focus on our great salvation so that our joy may be full!! Thank you for engraving my name on the palm of your hand. Thank you Jesus for shedding your blood to make that possible.