Speaking God's Love Language: Physical Touch

"Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

Matthew 25:40b

Since I was a child, I've always envied the little children who grew up during the time of Jesus' ministry. You know, those children who clamored around Jesus prior to the disciples attempt to 'shoo' them away. I wanted to be one of those children! I wanted to have the great privilege of crawling up into Jesus' lap and maybe even stroking His hair with my fingers, as little girls like to do. Well, unfortunately, I was born almost 2000 years too late!

You and I might not have had the opportunity to physically crawl into the lap of God or even grasp for the hem of His garment, but we do have the opportunity to touch the very heart of God. Jesus tells us in the verse above that whatever we physically do for someone here on Earth, then we're essentially doing it for Him.

When we wrap our arms around someone who needs encouragement, it's as if we've just embraced God.
When we grab the hands of a friend who is in need of prayer, it's as if we've just held the Hands of God.
When we cuddle a child in our lap and show them the love of God, it's as if we've just loved on God.
When we extend a hand to a homeless person or through the bars of a jail cell, it's as if we've just held our hand out to God.

So we can't travel back in time and walk hand in hand with Jesus, but look at all we can do to touch the heart of God right here and right now! What's great about how all of this works is that while we are touching the heart of God, we are also being a blessing to someone in need.

Have you blessed anyone lately with a physical touch? We never know how much a gentle hug or a pat on the back might mean to someone. We are surrounded everyday by people who are hurting and in need of encouragement. Would you be the gentle hands of God today to someone who needs to feel His touch?

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