The Hands & Heart of God (JJ Heller:Your Hands)

Listening to this song this morning, I felt there was someone that needed to not only hear it – but hear a word from God – just for them!

First – Here are the lyrics for this song.  Read them while you listen.

Your Hands (JJ Heller)

I have unanswered prayers
I have trouble I wish wasn’t there
And I have asked a thousand ways
That you would take my pain away
You would take my pain away

I am trying to understand
How to walk this weary land
Make straight the paths that crooked lie
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine

When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave your hands
When you walked upon the earth
You healed the broken, lost and hurt
I know you hate to see me cry
One day you will set all things right
Yeah, one day you will set all things right

When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave your hands

Your hands that shaped the world
Are holding me
They hold me still
Your hands that shaped the world
Are holding me
They hold me still

When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave you
When my world is shaking, heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave
I never leave your hands

Just for you!

Someone today is struggling.  Someone today is hurting.  Someone today is bound up with fears.  Someone today is feeling lost and alone.  Someone today has pain beyond what anyone can see, and they don’t think anyone knows.

God does.

God is with you.

God is with the one who is hurting.  He’s with the one who is full of fear.  He is with the one feeling lost and alone.  He is not only with you – but knows the pain, knows the hurt, knows the situation and circumstances . . . AND . . . He knows the way out of all of these situations and all of this pain!

God’s Hands and Heart

Today I see two things – God’s Hands and God’s Heart.

God’s Hands

I see God’s hands stretched out in front of Him.  They are not only stretched out – offering help, offering love, and offering a safe place to come in to . . . but they are also extended to YOU! 

So many people think “well – it works for someone else.  God loves them – but He surely wouldn’t want to love or help me – after all I’ve done.”

Let me just tell you something . . .

That’s a lie!

{sorry if that sounds harsh – but I don’t treat the Liar (the Father of Lies) kindly or tenderly!  He’s been lying to you a lot- and you don’t have to listen or be barraged with his lies anymore!  I’m gonna stand with and for you in this today!}

God’s hands are extended to YOU.  Yes YOU! 🙂  He will never retract them because of anything you’ve done – but they will remain outstretched towards you . . . just waiting for you to come and accept them, accept what He has to offer and allow yourself to be vulnerable and yet totally safe in His loving arms and hands.

Will you reach out and take His hands He is offering?

Will you stop struggling and come rest in His arms?

 

I asked a friend once if she was struggling that day?  Her reply . . .

“No.  Struggling is a choice – and I’ve chosen not to struggle!”  🙂

Psalm 91:14-16

“Because  he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
   I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;
   I will be with him in trouble,
   I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
   and show him my salvation.”

**Read ALL of Psalm 91!

God’s hands are extended to you . . . but the choice to receive them is yours.

What are you going to do today?

Receive them . . . or turn away and listen to the Father of Lies continue to berate, belittle and slowly steal, kill and destroy you (your happiness, your healthy, your love, joy and your life)?

The choice is yours.  God will always be waiting for you – to welcome you with unconditional love!

God’s Heart

The second thing that I see today, is God’s heart.

Ok – now this sounds funny (and it made me chuckle when I saw it!) . . .but I saw God pushing around a shopping cart (like at Walmart) FULL of big red hearts!  Big, puffy ones – light as feathers or air.  His cart was full and overflowing with these hearts.  They came up over his head even because they were so big!

But – as big as they were – when He gave one away . . . it grew even more!

I saw him going down the aisles of a store like Walmart – and people were gawking at his cart full of hearts – his cart full of love.  Some were confused.  Some were laughing.  Some were interested in why He had them in his cart, where He got them, and what He was going to do with all that love!  Then there were others . . . who were desperate . . . but secretly desperate for a heart, for that love – for it to come their way.  These people were hiding back in the aisles, too afraid to come close – too afraid to come out and venture over to see what the crowd of people surrounding the cart were looking at.

These people knew something good was in it – and that they needed it.

They could feel it.

They could sense it.

It was like a fresh breeze had come into a stuffy, stiffing hot and musty room.  They took a breath in – a whiff of this breeze that just blew in and blew by – and their insides jumped and came alive.

“This is what I need!  I’ve been searching up and down these aisles, for years, for so long – trying to find what would satisfy – what would fill that emptiness inside – what would not only satisfy, but heal up the holes, the leaks, the wounds and infections.  I’ve needed a total body makeover – a total transformation . . . and I know it has to come from the inside out . . . but I hadn’t been able to find what I needed here.  Not that I haven’t looked.  I’ve spent my whole life, all my money, time and energy – looking.  But to no avail.  Now here . . . . here comes this man . . . pushing a ridiculous looking cart full of big red hearts . . . and yet . . . . I can’t take my eyes off of him or his cart.  I can’t stop thinking about it, and I can’t stop the urge within me to go grab one of those hearts and run – before he even knows I took one.”

However . . . just as this person is thinking these things . . . Jesus has come up right in front of them.  He has a heart in his hands, right in front of His chest.  He is looking intently, lovingly and full of acceptance at this person hiding in the dark aisle.

“This is for you.” Jesus says tenderly and compassionately.

The person looks at the heart . . . tears welling up in their eyes.

On the heart . . . in shiny gold letters . . . . is written . . . their name.

“Beloved”

Their name is spelled out (like mine would say “Lori”) – but the meaning that is translated straight into this person’s heart and spirit is “Beloved”.  Their name – which used to mean ugliness, vile things, rejection, abandonment, disappointment, anger, hurt, rage, depression and more . . . now means

“Beloved.  Chosen one.  Cherished.  Adored.  Redeemed.  Significant.  AMAZING!  Daughter/Son of mine!”

Isaiah 62:4 (Amplified Bible)

You [Judah] shall no more be termed Forsaken, nor shall your land be called Desolate any more. But you shall be called Hephzibah [My delight is in her], and your land be called Beulah [married]; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married [owned and protected by the Lord].

This wounded, desolate, hungry and desperate person accepts the heart Jesus is holding out – and as they take it in their hands, Jesus requires an exchange.  This person didn’t see it before – when Jesus was handing out hearts to others . . . but now, here Jesus was . . . asking for (and requiring0 something in return.

Wait . . . I thought the love of God was FREE?

Yes . . . it is.  However . . . there is no room for this heart of love to take residence in if every room is filled to the brim.  This heart will start to crowd out all the junk that was inside each of us.  It’s an exchange that the enemy (Satan, the Father of Lies) HATES!  He has enjoyed the mess, the chaos, and the destruction inside that he has caused.  He’s enjoyed the darkness, depression, hopelessness and more.

But – there is no match for the light and love of God that comes into a room.  Darkness HAS to be replaced when light comes in.

An exchange must be made . . . but it’s a good one.

No longer is this person Wounded – but Healed . . . Desolate – but Delighted in . . . Hungry – but Satisfied . . . Desperate – but Fulfilled!

Let go of all that you have known . . . the comfort of the darkness, the familiarity of hopelessness, the wandering around the aisles of life looking for the next best thing, the newest idea, thought (or even religion) that has been “proven to satisfy”.

Accept this free gift God is holding out to you today . . . with YOUR name on it!  – Beloved!

It is worth the exchange!

A new heart and life

No longer do you have to continue to struggle, deal with your hurts and pain, be overcome with fear, or feel lost and alone.

You are not alone.

God is here . . . for you . . . holding out His hands . . . and giving you His heart.

Will you accept both of them?