Dave Herron is pastor of the Deer Creek Presbyterian Church. Lent has become in my family's worship life a period of preparation for the celebration of new life received in the resurrection of God's Son, Jesus Christ. Thus, Lent is a time for serious review of our thoughts, fears, commitment, and actions.

One particular exercise that helps me in my Lenten journey to the cross of Christ, involves a close examination of my hands - how they look, how they feel, how they are used in daily work and play. It is this review of how I use my hands every day that takes me to a deeper level of selfexamination. It brings me closer to God and to the call He has given me to serve Him and to love others.

A study of our hands and the hand of God is a rich image for observing this season of Lent. This year my family and I are meditating and reflecting on this image of hands and the hand of God as found in the center book of the Bible, the book of Psalms. This great collection of songs and prayers expresses the heart and soul of humanity. David and the other writers honestly pour out their true feelings, reflecting a dynamic, powerful, and life-changing friendship with God.

The word hand is used 57 times in the Psalms alone. In biblical usage, importance is attached to the use of hand as a part of the whole, as a substitute for a person and his or her activities and dealings. Therefore, when you see the phrase the hand of God, you know that it stands for His majesty and supreme power in the affairs of human beings.

I would like you to take a moment now to look at your own hands. Examine them closely. What do you learn from them? Are they smooth or rough? Are they large or small? Are they clean or dirty? What have they handled? What are they used for? What have they done for good? What have they done for evil?

One last thought for you to consider today is a line by Isaac Watts from the very moving hymn, "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross": "See from His (Christ's) head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down…"

May you place your hands in the hands of Jesus today and every day. And let the honesty of the psalmists guide you into a more deep and genuine relationship with Him.

Have a Blessed Lent.