Jesus took bread and blessed it.” (Matthew 26:26 KJV)
I read it in my eighty year old evening devotional. It was in the last few moments of the day and I’d accidentally read the wrong entry. I guess I was so eager to put February behind me, I had unwittingly slipped ahead into March. But out-of-date words swept me up and held my soul, resonating as a tuning fork of truth in a world where everyone plays off-key.
“But when Jesus touched it, it became more than bread.”
Rev. Frank Fagerburg wrote on; explaining how bread in Christ’s hands became a real-time symbol of God’s presence in that moment and how broken bread became representation of His sacrifice. The pagan celebration of Saturnalia? Transformed into the holy day of Christmas. Birth became sacred. Motherhood was recast from curse into holy profession. Common people were reborn as priceless treasures. Jesus’ touch transforms everything.
I look at my own life in the Savior’s hands and see this remarkable truth burst into being. Whatever Jesus touches becomes infinitely more. I contemplate my own hands, my work, my family, my home and my circle of influence and I want Jesus to touch it all, to pervade my personal world with His presence. To transform every last bit of it for His glory. I consider Christ’s track record and I’m ready anew to surrender it all to His divine agenda.
I’ve heard it my whole life through: you can’t outgive God. I ponder the bread and His hands and wonder why we hold anything back?
“Some people are always greedy for more but the godly love to give.” (Proverbs 21:6 NLT)
This proverb finds me guilty, caught red-handed, always wanting more. Giving is the way we fight our greed. Giving declares our dependance and denounces our flesh. Giving moves the needle toward godly in our own soul. Placing whatever we have in Christ’s hands frees it up for transformation. Maybe even frees us up for transformation.
“Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” (Matthew 6:21 NLT)
If we place everything important in Christ’s hands, then our desires will follow. Our longings will line up with His holy protocol. It all becomes lighter, purer, righter, truer.
Lord, loosen our grip. Today we see so clearly how everything in Your hand is blessed. Remade in the reality of Your presence. Why have we held anything back from You? Assist us in identifying and depositing all the articles of our existence into Your hands. Transform them according to Your glory. Forgive us for holding anything back. Amen.