“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, or with the breadth of His hand marked off the heavens?”
Isaiah 40:12a NIV
Handbreadths
The Who in the above verse is the Sovereign LORD Who is coming in power (Isaiah 40:10). Try as I might, I can’t really wrap my head around the vastness or the strength of the Lord. He must have a pretty enormous hand for the breadth (or width) of it to mark off the heavens.
In comparison, the handbreadth or width of a person’s hand has been standardized to equal four inches, and is used, among other things, to measure the height of a horse (i.e., the horse stands “20 hands”).
And as for the days of man: “Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing in Your sight; surely every man at his best is a mere breath. Selah” (Psalm 39:5 ESV).
As I sit staring at my own handbreadth, I am so in awe of God I can hardly breathe. In the light of an eternal God our lives are nothing… and yet, with all that power, all that strength, “He will feed His flock like a shepherd, He will carry the lambs in His arms, holding them close to His heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with her young” (Isaiah 40:11 NIV).
Revelation 7:17 tells us, “For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” The same hand that holds the oceans will wipe away our every tear. Amazing.
The words to the Casting Crowns song “Who am I”* comes to mind:
“Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt?….
Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again?
Who am I, that the Voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me?”
And the answer is given in the two choruses:
“I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I’m calling
Lord, You catch me when I’m falling
“And You’ve told me who I am
I am Yours
Not because of who I am
But because of what You’ve done
Not because of what I’ve done
But because of who You are”
The final thing I know about the Lord’s hands? He has inscribed us on their palms (Isaiah 49:16)—in the form of nail scars from the Cross.
“Lord, thank You for the oceans and the heavens You’ve created. Thank You that even though we are mere human handbreadths, You love us, lead us and spread Your hands out to die for us, because we are Yours. Amen.”
I love that song! Thank you.
Love this! Thank you. Isaiah 40:11 is one of my favorites; we learned it as a song when I was little. That scripture pierces my heart with it’s tenderness. Also the one you quoted in Revelation. I too have thought so much about Gods great strength yet also his tender gentleness…that He comes in power, and yet He binds our wounds and does not crush a bruised reed or snuff out a fluttering candle. Thank you!!
Your thoughtful devotional portrays the magnitude of God juxtaposed against His tenderness and mercy. The song is, indeed, a favorite for me too! Your devotional goes straight to the heart!❤️