Empty Hands

Taking the five loaves and two fish and looking up to heaven, Jesus gave thanks and broke them. Then He gave them to the disciples to set before the people. 

– Luke 9:16

Have you ever been in a desperate situation where there seems to be no way out? The bills are greater than your income? The fever keeps rising in spite of the medicine? He walks out with no excuse? The darkness has settled and nothing seems to lift it?

In these difficult times, our first instinct is often to grab for something. We scroll on our phone for hours, reach for a bottle to ease the pain, or busy our hands with endless tasks to distract us. 

When Jesus’ disciples faced the huge problem of having to feed a crowd of 5,000, they too looked to their own hands. Philip worked on calculating the expense of buying enough bread for the crowd, figuring it would take eight months’ wages. Andrew went looking through the crowd for food. He brought the best thing he could find to Jesus, a little boy who had five loaves of bread and two fish. 

When the little boy emptied his hands and gave all he had to Jesus, the miracle began. In Jesus’ hands, the food was blessed and God was thanked. Then Jesus emptied His hands, giving the loaves and fish to His disciples. As the disciples emptied their hands and passed around the baskets, the miracle of the multiplication happened.  

Can you imagine if Philip had said, “No Jesus, I’m still doing the math; my hands are busy?” Or what if Andrew had used his hands to shoo the little boy away and left to find something better? 

God wants to use your hands too. Every day you have endless choices of how to spend your time, money, and resources. Your hands are constantly in motion. But what if you emptied your hands, so they could be used for God’s plans? 

Start by asking God to show you how He might want to use your hands. Instead of writing a negative review on a new restaurant in town, He might want you to send an encouraging text to a friend. Instead of juggling a hundred different things a day, God might ask you to drop everything to focus on what really matters. 

When we fold our hands in prayer and ask God for guidance, direction, and help, He will point to His priorities. He’ll prompt us to drop some things and cling to others.

You are a modern day disciple of Jesus. God wants to use your hands to help, heal, create, calm, and care. Will He find your hands too busy, or will He find them empty, ready to complete the plans He has for you?

2 or 3 Together Questions:

1. When? - Think about a time in your life when you hit a dead end or a desperate situation. What were your hands busy doing?

2. What? - What’s in your hands? What’s one talent, strength, ability, or passion you could give to Jesus to benefit others? 

3. How? - How can you drop, let go of, or quit doing something that would free your hands up to be used by God? How is God leading you to use your hands?

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement