The Potter, Fingerprints part 2

Jeremiah 18:6 "Behold as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in Mine hand, O house of Israel"

As a potter works, the clay, like a second skin, covers his hands.  The film is so thin that all the little hairs on the back of his fingers are coated.  The tiny particles get caught under his nails and in between the ridges of wrinkles.  If he touches something the fine dust leaves red fingerprints behind.  When finishing a long day at work the potter has red hands.

When He cried, "It is finished..." my potter too had red hands.  His skin was covered with His own blood.  The little hairs on the back of His fingers were completely coated.  His nails were red, and the nails were red.  And as He touches me and reshapes me, thank God, He leaves behind blood stained fingerprints.  Those fingerprints are my salvation.

The Sculpter, Fingerprints part 1

Genesis 2:7 "And God formed man..."  The Hebrew word yatsar, formed, means "to press.  Through squeezing into shapes."

See Him, knees bent on the soft sod, resting all His weight on one hand as He works with the other.  He is totally absorbed in the task.  Already He has finished the inward parts.  The sturdy bone and soft sinew have been shaped.  Hollow organs were carefully rolled between His fingers and then gently laid in their places.  Now He is working on the eyes.  They are the most critical part.  As He leans in to inspect the eyebrows, His chin brushes against the molded nose and red clay stains His jaw.

Finished He inspects His work.  He checks every cell.  The lines are symmetrical and the curves balanced.  But before He can call it good He checks for one last thing.  Yes, they are there! Fingerprints.  His fingerprints are stamped on the man's bones and skin: in his brain and on his face.  The fingerprints of God, they were our beginning and they are our destiny.

The Good Shepherd (part 2)

"The beloved of the Lord

shall dwell in safety by him;

and the Lord shall 
cover Him all the day long,

and he shall dwell between His shoulders."

Deuteronomy 33:12

The Good Shepard

"The beloved of the Lord

shall dwell in safety by Him;

and the Lord shall

cover him all the day long,

and He shall dwell between His shoulders."

Deuteronomy 33:12

Precious Laundry

"And there appeared an angel unto Him from heaven, strengthening Him.  And being in an agony...His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." Luke 22:43, 44

"The sleeping disciples had been suddenly awakened by the light surrounding the Savior.  They saw the angel bending over their prostrate Master.  They saw him lift the Savior's head upon his bosom, and point toward heaven.  They heard his voice, like sweetest music, speaking words of comfort and hope."  Desire of Ages, p 694.2 by Ellen G. White

As tenderly as any mother I imagine the angel coming to Christ and saying, "It will be alright."  I can see Gabriel gently lift up Christ's head and wipe the bloody sweat from His brow.  Pointing towards heaven, he reminds Christ of the Fathers love and of the great redemption He will purchase for humanity. Once Christ is strengthened enough to drink the cup, I again imagine Gabriel rising and noticing the stains of sweat and blood, mingled with the tears from the Redeemers face.  Oh the wonder of it,  Christ's life oozing out through the pours on His face; and carried to heaven on the bosom of the commanding angel's robe!  Precious laundry.

The Summit (Mountains, part two)

"And Jesus...went up into a mountain, and sat down there. And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' fee; and He healed them."  Matthew 15: 29, 30

There are times in the journey that bearing the weight of the injured is enough to make one become a casualty.  Their sorrow and suffering, their unending needs, ones own lack of resources can beat down until you feel like one of the walking wounded.  But there is a gift in accompanying the crippled soul up to a mountain; when we get there we find Jesus.  What we may suffer in getting them to Christ vanishes when we see them healed.  We climb down the mountain wearing bruises and scars that may last a life time, but what joy to see the lame walk and the blind see.

Hiking (Mountains, part one)

Like so many other Bible statements this is an amazing one.  "And Jesus...went up into a mountain, and sat down there.  And great multitudes came unto Him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed..."  Matthew 15:29, 30

Even a small mountain climbed in blinding darkness is treacherous.  Or a hill walked while in physical pain seems like Everest.  But these people stumbled, fell and ached up that mountain to be healed by Jesus.  The trek demanded fortitude and perseverance.  But the sweaty agony was made sweet because Jesus was there.   They could hear His voice, see His face, or follow where where He had been.  Faith in His ability to heal gave them power to climb to the summit.  Without disappointment, they went home whole.