“Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven….”
Lamentations 3:41 ESV
As babies, our sons’ soft little hands were always in motion. Busy baby fingers constantly poked, prodded, grabbed, and clutched as they curiously explored their world. I marveled at the beauty and skill of my babies’ tiny hands and fingers.
When those little fingers curled into miniature fists, I would become suspicious. A fist generally meant that some small item had come into its possession – a fluff of baby blanket fuzz, a loose thread from a comforter, a stray Cheerio, or some other unwelcome intruder that had invaded the protected territory assigned to my little one.
I knew that whatever was clutched in that tiny fist would find its way into my baby’s mouth, so that meant that the fist needed to open up and release its treasure. That was a challenge much easier said than done.
The power of a baby’s gripped fist defies all definitions of reasonableness in terms of intensity and power. The force exerted is ridiculously disproportionate to the size of the gripper.
My little guy didn’t understand that his momma was trying to protect him from harm. He couldn’t see that I had a better plaything that would quickly replace the object to be removed. So he would cry, fuss, and fight to hang on to his prize until eventually, I was able to coax and gently pry his fingers open to replace the suspect item with a much better, much more appropriate toy or baby treat. Happy baby. Relieved mom.
One would think that as we mature into grown-up adults we would grow out of that tight-fisted tendency. One would think.
I think the truth is that most of us get better at making tighter fists. The harder we work to achieve and obtain – the perfect mate, the picture-book family, the ideal career, the house, the car, the-what-ever-it-is-you-are-after – the tighter our grip grows.
We don’t want to give up what we have worked so hard to achieve.
We don’t want to let go of what we think we need.
We don’t want to turn loose of what we think is best for us.
We refuse to recognize that God in His great love, mercy, and grace has far greater plans, much bigger blessings, and greater joys than we can imagine.
“The LORD will open to you His good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands.
Deuteronomy 28:12 ESV
And so we tighten our grip around those things that we have grabbed for ourselves, not realizing that fisted hands are unable to take hold of all those things that God wants to give us.
It is only when we relax our fists, open our hands, and turn loose of those things we have grasped so desperately for so long, that we can accept what God has for us.
Open hands held out to our loving Father can hold so much more than a tightly closed fist, and what God places in our hands will be of far greater eternal value.
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”
2 Corinthians 9:8 ESV
Time and time again Jesus laid His open hands on the multitudes of people that He ministered to healing their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. His open hands cleansed lepers, healed the sick, made the blind see, restored hearing to the deaf, made the lame walk, cast out demons, and raised the dead. Open hands.
Jesus extended His open hands and arms to the children so that He could embrace and bless them.
Jesus lifted His open hands in praise and prayer to His Father.
Jesus willingly laid His open hands on the rough crossbeam of the cross at Calvary. He allowed the spikes to be driven through the palms of His open hands, nailing Him to the cross.
And now Jesus extends His open and welcoming nail-scarred hands to sinners and saints.
– To the sinner, Jesus says, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, only through Me can you find forgiveness of sin and new life. Follow me with open hands. I will fill your hands with peace that is beyond understanding, abiding joy, and a certain hope that promises life everlasting. ”
– To the saint, Jesus says, “Follow me with open hands to share the good news of My gospel and make Christ-following disciples wherever you go. I will fill your hands with everything you need for every task that I ask you to do. I will place in your hands an abundance of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
You never read in Scripture that Jesus clenched His fists or that He approached anyone with a closed fist. His hands were always open to the one who needed Him.
“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands and that He had come from God and was going back to God.”
John 13:3 ESV
Fisted hands are not raised in praise. Fisted hands are used in self-centered moments of protest, fits of anger, and conflict.
Right now, stop. Take a look at your hands.
Are they open and willing to accept whatever God wants to place in them?
Or are your hands clenched into fists holding tight to whatever you’ve chosen to hold on to?
It may be that what you are holding is good, but perhaps you should ask yourself, “Is this God’s best for me? And, if not, why is my hand clenched so tightly?”
Or it may be that what you are holding onto is not good, nor is it healthy, nor is it in any way spiritually beneficial for you. Perhaps your hands holding tightly to deep-seated anger, long-held resentments, feelings of inadequacies, self-centered goals, or pet sins that you refuse to relinquish.
Only you know the answer.
Open hands or tightly closed fists?
But now, O God, strengthen my hands.
Nehemiah 6:9b ESV
“The LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.”
Deuteronomy 2:7 NIV