Open Hands

Trusting God Fully

It was just after Christmas when our small group through our church started a new study - MasterLife Together. We were about to embark on a 12 week journey through this study, diving deeper into the Word and becoming better disciples of Christ by the end. My husband and I were new to the church and to this group, but were so excited to be jumping in at the right time. As we went into MasterLife, my prayer was for radical spiritual growth. At the time, I had been really struggling with work, very overwhelmed and stressed to the point where I didn’t really recognize myself anymore. I certainly wasn’t focused on my faith or relationship with the Lord. I had spent far too much time trying to deal with things on my own and neglecting to really bring them to God. Sure, I prayed about the stress and for things to change, but I never really gave those things up and surrendered them to Him.

The way that MasterLife is set up is that each day you start by reading a passage for your “conversation with God”, as they called it. You’d draw a line down the middle of the page and as you read, you would write what God was telling you in the God column, and then your response in the Me column. I had never studied the Word in that way, but was excited to try something new and see how it changed my reading. 

This particular day, the reading was John 13: 3-17, where Jesus is washing his disciples’ feet shortly before he was to be crucified. There was one thing that I recorded in my conversation with God that  completely shifted how I have been trying to live ever since. 

“Jesus answered him, ‘What I’m doing you don’t realize now, but afterward you will understand.’” (John 13:7)

Simon Peter couldn’t understand why Jesus, the Son of God, was about to bend down and wash his feet. Many times we don’t understand how God works and why things happen in our lives the way they do. As I was writing this down in my journal, I had this sudden feeling in my heart that I needed to also write “with open hands”.

I may not understand, but I can trust you fully - with open hands. 

In the moment I couldn’t figure out why I felt the need to write it, but I did anyway. As I finished my reading I went on to do the actual MasterLife study for that day, titled Receiving God. The lesson was about how God created us by and for His love - the ultimate gift. And this love, beyond comprehension, isn’t a love you can earn because we’re all sinners. This love is a love that God gives us because he is love. 

I suddenly realized why I felt the need to write “with open hands”. I had been having such a rough few months and, as I mentioned, tried giving my stress and worries over to God, but wasn’t really successful. It was clear to me then that He was telling me to start living with open hands - open hands to let go of the things I’ve been trying to hold on to and deal with by myself, and open hands to receive the love that He showers on us. What a beautiful testament to who God is - the ultimate provider who gives us His love, peace, joy, and always works for our good.

What would it look like for you to live with open hands? Is there something you need to let go of and surrender to God? He’s waiting to take it from you and provide you with peace.