“BACK TO THE BASICS #4-OPEN HANDS”
EXODUS 4:1-5
INTRO: Friends, the Christian life should bear visible signs that we have new
life in Christ. We have been exploring in this series the basics of the
Christian faith. We have considered dusty shoes, worn-out knees, and
rolled-up sleeves. Today we want to look at open hands. According to
tradition, the custom of shaking hands began among ancient German
duelists as a sign of peaceful intentions. The men couldn’t draw
swords when their hands were outstretched, so an open hand
signified that they were meeting as friends. Conversely, a closed or
clenched fist is a universal sign of greed and selfishness. Further-
more, a closed hand means a closed heart (David Jeremiah. Signs of
Life. p. ).
Friends, we need to have open hands. God asked Moses in Exodus
4:2—“What is that in thine hand?” When Moses told it is was a rod—
which was used be shepherds to tend to their flock—God commanded
him to open his hand and release it. When Moses cast it aside God
returned it to him with fresh power and purpose. God cannot fill our
hands with blessings if we have them full of the passing treasures of
this world. Nor can we pass on these blessings to others if our hands
are preoccupied with some other endeavor.
Friend, let me ask you this morning, “What is in your hand? Are your
fingers open, hands lifted upward, releasing everything to God and
ready to receive all he wants to give you? Or are you grasping onto life
with a death grip” (David Jeremiah. Signs of Life. p. 169). If we truly
want to be blessed and also to be a blessing to others we must learn
to have open hands. Let me give you four things today about having
open hands. First…
(1) THE ATTITUDE
EXODUS 4:2-3—“And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine
hand? And he said, A rod. And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.”
*Having open hands require that we have the right attitude. What is this
attitude? :
A. THE WISDOM TO LET GO. After the Lord asked Moses, “What is that in
thine hand?”, and Moses said, “A rod.” God said, “Cast it on the ground…”.
Friend, What is it that you are grasping tightly today…trying to keep under
your control…What is it that your are unwilling to give to the Lord?” It
might be a relationship? Maybe a possession? Or maybe it is a plan, goal,
or dream you have? It could be a bitter spirit because someone hurt you
months, or maybe even, years ago, that you should have released but have
not.
Friend, it could be that you are missing out on the blessings of God, or else
not experiencing them to the fullest, because of your unwillingness to let go.
God cannot bless you if your hand is not open to receive His blessings!
ILLUS: David Jeremiah, in his book, Signs of Life, relates this story:
A retirement fund executive I know recently spoke of the years when
his son was away from the Lord. “I finally realized I had to open my
hands and let him go,” said Bill. “For a while I tried to control, to
manipulate, to pressure, to influence events, but my efforts only drove
him farther away. I finally just opened my hands and released my son
into God’s care and keeping. I knew the Lord was able to do more
than I could. In time, the Lord brought my son back to Himself and
back to us.” (David Jeremiah. Signs of Life. p. 70).
Friend, Are you facing a difficult problem? Is it burdening you? Is it
bearing upon your mind? Is it bringing you grief and pain? If so, then open
your hands and release your problem to the Lord. His hands are bigger
than yours and He can do far more than you can do or even imagine.
Give Him your fears, worries, anxieties, cares, and burdens because He
cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).
B. THE WILLINGNESS TO LET GO. The attitude of open hands is not only
The wisdom to let go but also the willingness to let go. Notice it says in
Exodus 4:3—“And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the
ground…” An open hand shows a willingness—your willingness to part
with your sins, struggles, and self. Friend, you need to give the Lord the
sins you that you cannot seem to overcome in your life. Confess them to
Him and ask Him to forgive you and cleanse you. Also, you must give Him
those precious people and things that you are grasping so tightly and won’t
let go of. Missionary E. Stanley Jones wrote, “In self-realization you try to
realize your self for all the answers are in you. In self-surrender, you
surrender your self to Jesus Christ, for all the answers are in Him.” (David
Jeremiah. Signs of Life. p. 171).
We have considered THE ATTITUDE for OPEN HANDS but also let us see…
(2) THE ACTION
PROVERBS 31:10-12; 19-20—“Who can find a virtuous woman? for her
price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust
in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good
and not evil all the days of her life… She layeth her hands to the
spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. She stretcheth out her hand
to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.”
A. THE WILLINGNESS OF GIVING. Not only do open hands reflect a humble
trust in the Lord, but also they signify a generous heart. Deuteronomy
15:7-8 says—“If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren
within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou
shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: But
thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him
sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.” The wise and virtuous
woman in Proverbs 31—“ She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she
reacheth forth her hands to the needy.” Mother, will your children have
such memories of you? Father, How is your generosity? When we die will
people remember us as being generous or greedy? As givers or gainers?
Friend, are you willing to give when the need arises?
B. THE WORSHIP OF GIVING. 2 Corinthians 9:7 says—“Every man
according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of
necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” God takes pleasure in, prizes,
and is unwilling to abandon or do without a cheerful (joyous, prompt to do
it) giver—whose heart is in his giving. Friends, giving that is spiritual
begins in a heart that says “I want to.” It is proceeded by a head that says,
“I will.” Then it opens the hand and says, “I’m doing it.” Open-hearted,
Open-handed giving should characterize our every act if obedience and
service.
We have looked at THE ATTITUDE of OPEN HANDS, THE ACTION of OPEN
HANDS but let us also note…
(3) THE ACCEPTANCE
JOB 2:10b—“…What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall
we not receive evil?...”
A. OPEN HANDS SPEAK OF RECEPTION. Job asked a very important
question here—“ What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall
we not receive evil?...” We rejoice at the gifts, but we grumble at the losses.
We shout for our blessings but sulk when bad things come. Friends, the
loving hand of God always bestows upon our lives exactly what we need
when we need it. Praise the Lord! He tempers the good with the bad.
Friend, you cannot receive a gift with clinched hands. His hands are
always open and outstretched in our direction. Psalm 145:16 speaking of
God’s generosity toward us says—“Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest
the desire of every living thing.”
Many Scriptures speak of the generosity of God—“If ye then, being evil,
know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your
Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?...For God
so loved the world that he gave… Christ also loved the church, and gave
himself for it…Who gave himself for our sins… the Son of God, who loved me,
and gave himself for me… how shall he not with him also freely give us all
things?... the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.” (Matthew
7:11; John 3:16; Ephesians 5:25; Galatians 1:4, 2:20; Romans 8:32; 1
Timothy 6:17).
Friends, God is a generous God! But in spite of all His generosity if our
hands are gripped tightly, clutching onto the temporal and passing things
of this life, we cannot receive God’s abundant blessings!
B. OPEN HANDS SUSTAIN OUR RELATIONSHIP. Friends, the Lord wants
the treasure you’re grasping so tightly; He wants you to open your hands so
He can bless you! It all comes down to a trust issue. Do we really trust
God enough to let go of what we are holding on to so He can fill our hands
with good things? Friend, what gift might God be wanting to give you but
cannot because your hands are closed? What do you need to let go of for
Him? The more you trust God the more open your hands will be! Your
relationship with Him will blossom and you will experience His fullness like
never before. Open hands mean endless possibilities; closed hands NONE!
We have looked at THE ATTITUDE of OPEN HANDS, THE ACTION of OPEN
HANDS, and THE ACCEPTANCE of OPEN HANDS. Let us consider one final
thing…
(4) THE ASSESSMENT
LUKE 6:38—“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed
down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into
your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall
be measured to you again.”
A. THE MEASURE OF OUR GIVING. A sure way of gauging whether our
hands are truly open or closed is by taking a close look at our pockets. Our
world believes full pocket are a sign of diligence, intelligence, and prosperity
but in the kingdom of God it is empty pockets that are praised. Jesus did
not praise the wealthy but he did praise a poor widow. Luke 21:1-4 tells
us—“ And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the
treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.
And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more
than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings
of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.”
Friends, after she gave her last two mites, her pockets were empty! She
gave all she had and trusted God to take care of her needs! We should do
the same.
B. THE MOTIVE FOR OUR GIVING. If we are truly generous before the Lord
we will commit to giving Him not only our visible money but also our
invisible money. Sometimes God calls us to give our pocket money,
occasionally it is check money, but also there comes a time when He calls
us to have faith and give over and above our means—if we are willing to give
Him all that we are and all that we have—our giving will flow through us
like a stream of living water touching others!
Friends, let us trust God and ask Him to give us the grace to live with
generosity—empty pockets—so that our total trust and dependence will be
on Him and we can be a channel through which He can bless others!
CLOSING: Friend, is your hands open or closed? We have considered THE
ATTITUDE, THE ACTION, THE ACCEPTANCE, and THE
ASSESSMENT. What are you holding tightly on to that you need
to let go of?
God wants to bless us so we can bless others. Are we willing to
have open hands so our hearts will be open to others?
PREPARED BY BROTHER BRYAN L. BROWNING, PASTOR OF BEECHMONT BAPTIST CHURCH, BEECHMONT, KY FOR SUNDAY MORNING, MARCH 30, 2008.