Open Hands

Today I am in awe of the fact that our Abba Father knows all of our needs, and He gives us exactly what we need when we need it: never too early and never too late. Time and time again, we are commanded in Scripture to open up our hands and trust His faithful, daily provision. This open-handed receptivity is greatly emphasized in the book of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes warns us that “The fool folds his hands and ruins himself” (Eccl. 4:5), encouraging us that “Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind” (Eccl. 4:6).

In my mind’s eye, I imagine a toddler trying to grab all of the goldfish at once and dropping them on the floor contrasted with the child who reaches for them one at a time. I think we tend to be like that first child. In our foolishness, we grasp, we store up, and we bite off more than we can chew. At the root of this practice is not always gluttony, but more often than not, it’s a lack trust. We worry that tomorrow God will not be faithful, that we will not have what we need, so we play the role of God in our own lives by gathering up enough for tomorrow. We end up with reality TV shows about hoarders, or “extreme couponers” who have entire storehouses filled with canned goods and various home supplies. Even those of us who do not feel an impulsive desire to hoard material things still feel the urge to control the minute details of our lives. We spend extensive hours trying to map out every detail of the next ten years, making everything fit perfectly. We become frazzled and stressed when situations take unexpected turns, and our neat little outline goes null and void (as has occurred multiple times throughout my college career with my course mapping).

But we have to let go of our anxiety. For the hoarder, Jesus encourages not to “lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matt. 6:19-20). For those of us who simply try to micromanage our own existence, Christ exhorts us not to “worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matt. 6:34). And when He taught His disciples how to pray, He encouraged them to start by magnifying the holiness of God, then asking for His Kingdom and His will to be brought about, and then, only then, to humbly ask for God to “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11).

This idea of “daily bread” comes directly from Exodus. For when the Israelites received manna from God, it was only enough for one day. As a trust exercise, God forbade the people from gathering extra to save for morning. Whenever they would try to save some overnight, it would become infested with worms and stink (Exo. 16:20). They also could not gather more on the Sabbath. The prior day, they were granted double the manna so that they could rest the next day and eat the leftovers.

If only we could learn from their example. If only we would learn to trust God for today's manna, and not worry about the manna for tomorrow. If only we would repent of the anxiety and distrust that plague our hearts, which cause us to run and around frantically, worrying about situations far beyond our control.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for calling us on a journey of humble, open-handed trust and submission to the will of the Father. Thank you that You were the manna in the wilderness, giving life to the hungry at the proper time. Let us feast on You day by day, not grasping for the blessings of life, but opening our palms to take and eat only the bites You hand us.

Thank you that You were not only the gift of manna but You were also the example of a life lived with open-handed receptivity, even unto death. You opened Your hands completely of Your own will, releasing Your grasp and allowing Your beautiful hands to be nailed to a Cross. In the same way, let us release our clenching fists so that You can give and take away at Your leisure. You have been faithful and gracious, and Your faithfulness and graciousness will not run out. Even when things do not go as we plan, you will sustain us for today, tomorrow, and the next day. But all that we ask for is today. “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11), we earnestly pray. We ask all of this in the Name of the One in whom all promises are Yes and Amen (2 Corinthians 1:20).