I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up – – –Psalms 30:1
The late Bill Bright told this touching story of a boy delivered from certain destruction by a brave man. Their home on fire, a young boy was trapped upstairs. The grandmother attempted to rescue him, but she died in the horrible flames.
A man who saw the fire climbed up an iron drainpipe to the lad’s window. With the boy clinging to his neck and with a firm grip on the drainpipe, he lowered himself and the boy to safety.
Weeks later, a public hearing was held to determine who should be given custody of the boy. A teacher, a farmer, and the town’s wealthiest citizen all gave reasons why they should be chosen to give the boy a home. But the sad boy only stared at the floor.
Then a man walked to the front of the room and announced his desire to adopt the boy. He slipped his hands out of his pockets and held them up for the crowd to see. His palms bore hideous scars.
The boy cried out in recognition and leapt into the man’s arms. This was the man who had saved the child’s life. His hands had been scorched when he climbed up the hot iron pipe. As the boy nestled in the arms of the man who saved his life, the other men walked away. Those scarred hands settled the issue.
In the same way, our Savior’s nail-scarred hands have settled the issue for us. Our Lord’s sacrifice saved us and made us children of God. Like the young boy, we have been “adopted” as God’s sons (Ephesians 1:5).
As believers, we are not orphans who are homeless without parents or family. We have an incredible parent, our loving Heavenly Father, who cares for us deeply and cares for us each moment of the day. We also have a wonderful family, consisting of brothers and sisters all over the world. And we have a marvelous home waiting for us in eternity.
Even now, we experience comfort, peace, and a sense of belonging through our Father’s Spirit — the Holy Spirit — who has made our heart His home. We are very important to God because we are His dearly beloved children.
For all these wonderful blessings, let us thank God for our Savior’s precious, nail-scarred hands.
