Hands can express much…
Like for me when Liverpool FC score that last minute winner or when Andy Murray won Wimbledon or when England won the Six Nations! I would run around, arms in the air with excitement, cheering and shouting and waving my hands upwards in celebration.
Or
When I arrive home from work and my twins come running up to me, reaching upwards in anticipation for their daddy to pick them up and hug them.
Or
In those moments of disappointment, sadness and upset, flinging hands up to the heavens in a motion of frustration and annoyance that speaks (without words) but says ‘what’s going on??’
Often our hands can outwardly express what is happening inside that our mouths can’t.
This week’s thought continues in the book of Psalms, it’s not a picture of God but how we can come to God.
“I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.”
Psalm 63:4 – NLT
‘In your name I will lift up my hands’ – The lifting of hands was a common posture for people when praying and particularly for praising. I suppose my exuberant celebrations (above) are in some way a physical manifestation of me giving praise!! BUT actual praise and worship belongs to God. The lifting of hands is a way of expressing that we want to receive from Him, like my girls wanting me to pick them up. It’s a lovely picture as we lift our hands to God, he comes to embrace us.
The lifting of hands is also an act of surrender, it says, ‘here I am, I come open handed, not holding anything back, I give all to you, I will praise you with all that I am in anticipation of all you want to say and do in my life.’
I hope like the Psalmist our praise will last a lifetime. That we would praise him in every way, in every circumstance, in every place, for everything in word and in deed, with our mouths, our hands, our whole body, mind and spirit. That our lives would be a sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 13:15), in the moments of difficulty, frustration, anger, when God has not answered our prayers as we might have wanted him to, when we have shouted “what’s going on…?” yet, we still choose to praise Him. When we will still choose to lift up our hands to the Father with longing, anticipation and celebration.
I urge you this week to consider lifting up your hands to God, in praise, in thanks and in prayer as we live for Him.
Here are a few more verses that speak of lifting our hands to aid us in our reflection.
“Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord!”
Psalm 134:2
“‘Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven…”
Lamentation 3:41
“Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.
Psalm 28:2
