Graven on His Hands

“Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there the risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
King of glory and of grace,
One in Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God”

Two of our worship leaders did an awesome performance of this song today. I don’t think I’d ever heard it before, although it sounds like an old hymn. All the words are awesome (seems like there were more, but this is all I found online), but that part about my name being “graven in His hand” and my name being “written on His heart” really touched me today. I know that, I’ve read it in the Bible (Isaiah 49:16), but sometimes something I “know” just doesn’t sink in until I’ve heard it quite a few times. Just imagine that…

God had my name (and yours!) engraved right on the palm of his hand, and he has my name (and yours!) written on his heart! He loved us enough to pay the price of our sins with his own blood.

And then that part about Satan reminding us of our guilt. He loves to do that, to make us think so little of ourselves that we doubt ourselves, even doubt what Christ did for us. But we are special, despite our flaws, despite our sins, because Christ loved us enough to die for us, enough to engrave our names on the palm of his holy hand.