Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.”
Luke 1:66 NIV
The Lord’s Hand
Back in 1974, the National Film Board produced an award winning film called “In Praise of Hands.” This short documentary pays tribute to the craftsmen everywhere whose work adds color and richness to life. Filmed in the Canadian Arctic, Finland, India, Nigeria, Japan, Mexico, and Poland, it shows the special skills of artisans working at their crafts – stone sculpture, pottery, ceramics, weaving, dyeing, puppet making, embroidery. Each indigenous skill is a reflection of the culture of the country.
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There is a great mystery around the arrival of Jesus the Messiah into this world. We often focus on the things surrounding Jesus’ birth, and we ought to do that since it is His birth we are celebrating. But part of that story includes the arrival of John the Baptist, who came to prepare the hearts of God’s people for the arrival of the Messiah. John’s parents were old – Zechariah and Elizabeth were beyond child bearing age. During Elizabeth’s pregnancy, her husband became mute. He didn’t speak until after he had confirmed that their son was to be named John, even though that name was found nowhere in the family tree. All of this led to what we read in Luke 1:66: “Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, ‘What then is this child going to be?’ For the Lord’s hand was with him.” Everything that God does ought to fill us with wonder. God’s plan for John and Jesus transformed the world – in their day and ours. God has a plan for your life as well, and as He works His plan out, and others see the Lord working in your life, they too will wonder as they see His hand upon you.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley