"Your hand, O Lord, in days of old was strong to heal and save; It triumphed over ills and death, o'er darkness and the grave. To You they came, the blind, the mute, the palsied and the lame, The lepers in their misery, the sick with fevered frame.
"O be our great deliv'rer still, the Lord of life and death; Restore and quicken, soothe and bless, with Your life-giving breath. To hands that work and eyes that see give wisdom's healing pow'r That whole and sick and weak and strong may praise You evermore."
"In days of old" the hands of the Lord Jesus were "strong to heal and save." His hands were doing exactly what the prophets had foretold. When the promised Savior came to earth, the blind would see, the deaf would hear, the mute would sing for joy, and the lame would leap like a deer. Jesus' miracles testified to His identity as the Messiah and the Son of God. Jesus said, "For the works that the Father has given Me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about Me that the Father has sent Me" (John 5:36b).
In His greatest demonstration of love and healing, Jesus' hands were nailed to a cross. He took onto Himself the judgment of God against sin. By His death and resurrection Jesus delivered us from sin and condemnation, from death and the devil. "With His wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5b). From the hands of Jesus, "the Lord of life and death," we receive forgiveness for our sins and the gift of eternal life. Through the proclamation of the Gospel and the "life-giving breath" of the Holy Spirit, people are still restored and quickened, that is, raised to new life. All who trust in Jesus for salvation triumph over "ills and death, o'er darkness and the grave."
In our hymn we pray, "To hands that work and eyes that see give wisdom's healing pow'r." We who believe in Jesus are His body on earth, His hands and eyes and compassionate heart. Jesus commanded us to love one another as He loved us, saying, "By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). The signs and wonders done by Jesus' hands testified to His identity as the Messiah and Son of God. Now our words of witness and our acts of love show the world that we are His disciples. Sharing the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection, offering words of kindness and hope and healing those in need—that is how we demonstrate the love of Jesus. His nail-scarred hands are still strong to heal and save.
WE PRAY: Lord Jesus, work through us to bring hope and healing to the world. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. It is based on the hymn, "Your Hand, O Lord, in Days of Old," which is number 846 in the Lutheran Service Book.
Reflection Questions:
1. What's a powerful demonstration of love you have received from someone?
2. How has God shown His love to us in Jesus?
3. Can you think of a time when God led you to love someone in a way that wasn't typical for you?
Today's Bible Readings: Ecclesiastes 7-9 Acts 10:1-23
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