Daily Devotional

Psalm 24:3–4 - “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood and has not sworn deceitfully.”
 
Psalm 63:4 - “So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.”
 
Proverbs 12:14 - “A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his words, and the deeds of a man’s hands will return to him.”
 
1 Timothy 2:8 - “Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.”
 
Of all the physical attributes of my first pastor, I remember his hands. He would stand at the door of the church and shake my hand, look into my eyes, and convince me I was the most important person in his life, at least for that moment.  

While I was in seminary, Josh McDowell came to our chapel service. Although he was well known to us all, he grabbed my hand and said, “Hi, I’m Josh McDowell. What’s your name?”  
Why would a famous guy like McDowell introduce himself as if I didn’t know his name? I was struck by his sincerity and humility. That was in 1975 and I have never forgotten the feel of his hand and the look in his eye. I, a lowly seminary student and new Christian, was the most important person in the crowd. In that memorable moment, I learned a life-long ministry lesson.

There is something about our hands that conveys strong messages. A clenched fist displays anger and the desire to use force. An open-handed salute is more than a sign of respect; it signals to a superior there is no weapon or threat. A pat on the back communicates affirmation of a person. Applause is simply an affirming pat on the back from a distance. Open hands can also be a sign of peace (1 Timothy 2:8). We endeavor daily to lift up “holy hands” to the Lord (cf. 1 Timothy  2:8) as a symbol of His peace prevailing over our “anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech” (cf. Colossians 3:8). We also “lay hands on” and pray for those who are heading out on a new challenge in which they need our support and encouragement.

In addition to a symbol of the healing power of God, the Bible speaks of “laying hands” on someone as a means of endorsing and identifying with a person being sent to use their God-given gifts and talents in a ministry (cf.  Acts 13:3; 1 Timothy 4:14; 5:22; 2 Timothy 1:6; etc.).

As those who minister to others, let’s reflect on our hands:

• We lift our hands to the Lord with a desire for His peace to prevail in our lives.

1 Timothy 2:8 “Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.”  
 

• We open our hands to reveal we have no anger or malice toward others.

 
1 Samuel 24:11, 13) “…there is no evil or rebellion in my hands, and I have not sinned against you, though you are lying in wait for my life to take it…my hand shall not be against you.”  
 

• We pat others on the back in recognition that we believe in what God is doing in our midst.

 
Philippians 1:6 “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”  
 

• We applaud others when they make the right choices.

 
1 Corinthians 12:26 “…if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”
 

• We lay our hands on others in recognition they are commissioned for a holy purpose.

 
1 Timothy 4:14 “Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands...”
 

• We join hands with others as Soldiers of the Cross, saluting our divine Commander in Chief.

 
2 Timothy 2:1–4 - “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others  also. Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.”
 

• We shake hands with as many people as possible.

 
While looking into their eyes, we give them our full attention because they are important—especially to God.

It is not surprising I often say to my pastoral staff, “All hands on deck.” It is not just reminiscent of my Navy days. Hopefully, it reminds us to:
 

• Lift our hands to the Lord in prayer.
  
  
• Open our hands in peace toward others.
  
  
• Pat others on the back to encourage them.
  
  
• Applaud others when they do well.
  
  
• Lay hands on others to affirm them.
  
  
• Salute and worship our King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
  
  
• Shake hands with as many people as possible—because we love them with the love of the Lord.

 
That’s what I call “hands-on” ministry!

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