023 I Have Engraved You on the Palms of My Hands - A Guided Christian Meditation Podcast on...

023 I Have Engraved You on the Palms of My Hands - A Guided Christian Meditation Podcast on Isaiah 49:14-16 As a Hospice chaplain and having worked as an ICU chaplain in a busy hospital, my purpose in making this podcast is to help you find more peace in your life and to be more open to be changed by the Spirit of God.   Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation, Visualization   Intro: We will begin with some deep breathing in order to remove distractions so that we can focus completely on God’s word.   Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:     As we begin, look down at your hands. Pick one and stare at it. If you can’t do this, visualize it or look at some other part of your body. Notice the creases in your hands. Try and notice every contour. When I look at my hands I notice small hairs, pores, and many scars. As you do this let your whole focus rest on what you are seeing. Perhaps you run your fingers along the palms of your hands. As you do this breathe deeply. Allow all your focus gently rest upon your hands. The imagery of our hands reminds us what we have done. These hands of yours have been with you your whole life. When you have held a baby, or touched the grass and dirt. When you have worshiped and sinned. This is part of your existence on earth. Perhaps you have lost the ability to fully use your hands or the experience discomfort. Perhaps you never think about them. Our relationship to our body is very complex and confusing at times. Take this time to breathe deeply and allow all your muscles relax. Don't run from feelings that come but just let them be without fighting it. Open your heart to the word of God in the Bible. I’m breaking tradition a little here. As you continue to relax close your eyes and keep breathing deeply. One of my new friends who has reached out to me via my website ChristianMeditationPodcast.com send me this message while we were talking about some hard things going on in his life. He brought up this scripture.   Bible verse for meditation: This scripture is in the gospel of Isaiah 49:1-6 1Hear me, coastlands,listen, distant peoples.Before birth the LORD called me,from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.2He made my mouth like a sharp-edged sword,concealed me, shielded by his hand.He made me a sharpened arrow,in his quiver he hid me.3He said to me, You are my servant,in you, Israel, I show my glory.4Though I thought I had toiled in vain,for nothing and for naught spent my strength,Yet my right is with the LORD,my recompense is with my God. 5For now the LORD has spokenwho formed me as his servant from the womb,That Jacob may be brought back to himand Israel gathered to him;I am honored in the sight of the LORD,and my God is now my strength!6It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant,to raise up the tribes of Jacob,and restore the survivors of Israel;I will make you a light to the nations,that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth   At times we can feel dejected. We can feel overcome. Deeply in need of the peace of the LORD. Later in the same scripture we find this profound scripture. Keep your heart open as you receive this scripture. Notice what word or thought your attention rests upon.   Isaiah 49:14-16 Catholic Bible (NABRE) 14But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me;my Lord has forgotten me.” 15Can a mother forget her infant,be without tenderness for the child of her womb?Even should she forget,I will never forget you. 16See, upon the palms of my hands I have engraved you; your walls are ever before me. Look for similarities and differences in this reading.   ESV 14     But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me;my Lord has forgotten me.”15     “Can a woman forget her nursing child,that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?Even these may forget,yet I will not forget you.16     Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;your walls are continually before me.   Meditation on scripture / bible verse meditation: Take another deep breath as you ponder what this scripture means. What stuck out to you as you focused on the scripture?     Continue breathing deeply and pondering as I share some thoughts.   When I first started the podcast I started very exegetical and technical. Since there are many more people much smarter than me and the main goal of this podcast is to align ourselves with the spirit of peace my focus has turned to application. Part of me wants to talk about how Isaiah 49 forms one of the other servant songs. Similarl to Isiah 53 covered in episode 9. I'll place my focus on this follow on scripture.     At times we find ourselves feeling as though we have sinned before God and are no more worthy...