One heart and/or a pair of hands??!!

As I write this post I have one more post in store that I started but yet to finish so I have not posted it. I am just coming back from a camp refreshed and encouraged may be I should use the corporate term motivated! However there has been something that I have been thinking even before I started the camp and that is a pair of hands.

I have been in a suction pump for the last one month completely withered out because of my work and was almost on the verge of completing my tasks.(lots to write about.. the post in store will have it :) ) It was during that time someone (I am not sure if I can mention the name!) said "I don't think we need a pair of hands..." I would not go into the context of the conversation and in fact I still do not know what was the intention behind that statement but somehow that was going around in my mind. A pair of hands!What does a pair of hands mean? What is it worthy of having a pair of hands? Why do we need a pair of hands? Does the heart have to do anything with a pair of hands? Is it the heart or the mind that controls the pair of hands? All these were questions that kept popping up in my mind. 

I am a kind of girl who primarily goes by what my heart says. I hardly care about what others think (which I still don't know if its a strength or a weakness!) as long as I am convinced by my knowledge that I am aligned to the Word of God. In other words if I am sure  it is God's will (which I am not always sure of!?). I believe God builds each one of us uniquely and uses us to mold us into His image. When we submit ourselves to his power, He takes control. So I was thinking of these hands of mine that I have used thus far. Do I actually think each time I use my pair of hands? Do you actually think each time you use your pair of hands?

Thinking about this helped me realize that the context in which we use them has a greater significance attached. When it comes to helping others may be a stranger on the road, it is just a pair of hospitable hands. When it is about our friends in need of some assistance, may be some help with finances or a course explanation or a drive, it is a pair of amicable hands. When it is about our family which needs us specially in times of desperation or emergency then it is a pair of loving hands. What about it when it is about God?Who knows what pair of hands we are using?

I was thinking if God actually needs a pair of hands? The next question I asked myself is does God need my pair of hands? Well do I need God's pair of hands? Slightly going off track you know I always had a doubt when I read this verse "When You said, "Seek My face," my heart said to You, "Your face, O LORD, I shall seek."" - Psalm 27:8. There are other verses as well which talk about seeking His face. Why would God ask me to seek His face when well truly speaking everything comes from His hands? And why would David's heart reply when he has a mouth? Since when did heart start speaking and not pumping blood? Anyways probably and possibly if God said "Seek My hands",it would have made more sense to me because that is what I am looking for. Atleast that is what I thought until I stopped looking at God as Giver whose hands are too oily and fully greased to grip any kind of blessings from me. But now God is God- the Lord of my life. Period.

Coming back to the question does God require a pair of hands? As fellow workers with God in the vineyard, we do need a pair of hands to sow and we do need a pair of hands to reap! Paul did work with his own hands both for himself and that others might be blessed as well. What does God require from us? "Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the LORD's commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good" - Deut 10:12 
I am tempted yo dissect the above verse into a mathematical functional equation..
God's requirement = Fear the Lord + Walk in all His ways + Love Him + Serve the Lord + Keep His commandments
                                =  f(H*h) + f(H*h)+ f(H*h)+ f(H*h) + f(H*h) 
                                = 4f(H*h) 
                                = f(H*h)

where "f" stands for a function, "H" stands for our Heart and "h"stands for our soul which I think to break it down to my level of understanding is our will and action (can signify pair of hands!)

Do you know who will abide in the tent of God ? Do you know who will dwell in God's holy hill? Well the good news is we have some pointers with regard to this in Psalm 15. Here it goes...
1    O LORD, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill?
2    He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, And speaks truth in his heart.
3    He does not slander with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
4    In whose eyes a reprobate is despised, But who honors those who fear the LORD; He swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5    He does not put out his money at interest, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.