Have you ever shown up empty handed? If you would have known, you would have brought something, but you were not informed. I hate that feeling of not being prepared. This morning while reading the scriptures, I read two accounts of empty hands. Samuel was giving his final speech to the children of Israel and he asks several questions. He is asking if he has wronged, mistreated, bribed anyone. The people tell him no. “He said to them, ‘The LORD is a witness against you, and his anointed is a witness today that you haven’t found anything in my hand.” (1 Samuel 12:5). In Samuel’s case, being empty handed was a good thing. Could people say the same thing about us?

Another scripture paints a different picture. “He feeds on ashes. His deceived mind has led him astray, and he cannot rescue himself, or say, ‘Isn’t there a lie in my right hand?” (Isaiah 44:20). Sometimes our sin is so blinding and our hearts so deceitful that we cannot recognize the lie we hold so tightly too. One of the biggest lies I see our world clinging to today is the denial of God. Who created minds that can even think this thought?  Who set the stars in the sky? Who gave you the color of your eyes? Who gave dogs the ability to bark? Who taught birds to sing? Who came up with the colors of changing leaves? Who gave peaches such sweet juice? Something other than human hands created you, me and our world. Why is it so hard to believe?

“This is what the LORD, your Redeemer who formed you from the womb, says: I am the LORD, who made everything.” (Isaiah 44:24)

This is so simply stated, yet not accepted as truth today. Open up the scriptures and you will hear words of love, direction, peace, comfort, healing, joy, sorrow, purpose, eternal plans, hope, what is sin and the list could continue. If Bibles were placed in empty hands and read, maybe revival would be stirred. It is the Holy Spirit that works on hearts and the Bible was written by men, inspired by the Holy Spirit. “All scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16). It is  heartbreaking to see how little honor Bibles are given. We do not recognize what are hands are holding and therefore we go about living lives that are incomplete.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” (John 1:1-4). Keep reading to gain a bit more understanding. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14). Jesus is the Word! Do you realize what this means? These 66 books, divided into 2 testaments, that in America we can easily obtain a copy, is life to us. Why do we want to deny life? True life is found ONLY in Jesus and the Word.

Pick up a copy of the scriptures for yourself. Stop going by what others post on social media and claim it as your truth. You are holding a lie and don’t even recognize it. Empty your hands of these lies and reach out for life. Honestly, nothing is more exciting to me than opening my Bible, but this was not always the case. My hands were filled with empty lies and I did not not even know it. It was not until my eyes were opened and I was grasping to find life, that the Bible became life to me.  Friend, He can do this for you too.

I challenge you to open up your Bible, pray and ask the Lord to show you life and get ready to know love. Hallmark has never written a card nor Hollywood made a movie that compares to the love found in the Bible. If you do not know where to start, I recommend the books of John and Psalms. If you have questions, pray and ask God to help you understand. He may lead you to someone who can help guide you. Ask me and if I do not know the answer, I will pray and find the answer for you. One of my favorite verses is, “For your faithful love guides me, and I live by your truth.” (Psalm 27:11). How does that sound?

*Picture is taken from my Bible:)