This is the 4th and final post in the series Living Open Handed in a White Knuckle World. If you have missed the previous posts, it would be helpful to go back and read them in order to understand how we got to this post.  Links are provided below.

1. Living Open Handed in a White Knuckle World
2. Living Open Handed: I have a need!
3. Living Open Handed: Express Honestly

Through these posts,

• we have identified our fears that cause us to create fist
• then opened the little finger to admit or acknowledge we have a need.
• Next we lifted the ring finger and wrote a psalm including those fears and needs.

Now we are ready to open the middle finger which stands for P: PIVOT.

This becomes a key point in addressing our fears.  One reason is to lift this finger means that our hand is mostly open now- though not completely.  As you can see, this “OK” sign gives us a sense that we will indeed be ok which gives us hope!

But this step is also important because it is a pivot point. From here we can go either way easily. If we persist, our hands will continue to open.  But if we stop here, chances are our hands- and hearts will close down again.  Choosing to PIVOT is probably as difficult as any of the other choices combined.

Go back to Psalm 77

Asaph spent the first 10 verses voicing his distress.  Then look at V11 & 12 from the NIV/

I will remember the deeds of the Lord.
Yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.

Remember- means ‘to call to mind again” In a moment of crisis- he ‘flips a switch’ and chooses to remember.

To meditate is – ‘to take time to reflect on what you have ‘noticed’- mull it over!

You notice these are not “I will when I’ve got a few minutes or when I feel like it” but “I will!” This is an Intentional choice – This takes initiative on our part.

Linda Dillow shared of this verse “Today all is dark.  I can’t see what God is doing, but instead of staying here and letting the problems paralyze me, I will turn my mind to what God has done in the past.

And what happens when we do…. read on at verse 13.

Your ways, O God, are holy.  What god is so great as our God?  You are the God who performs miracles;  you display your power among the peoples. With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.     Selah

And I LOVE THIS next part !! 

 When the Red Sea saw you, O God,     (NLT)
its waters looked and trembled!
The sea quaked to its very depths.
The clouds poured down water,
the skies resounded with thunder;
your arrows flashed back and forth.
Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,
your lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and quaked.
Your path led through the sea,
your way through the mighty waters,
though your footprints were not seen.  
(NIV  says “a path no one knew was there.”)
You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Asaph is remembering… as we see over and over again in the scriptures. Recalling a specific time – the Red Sea time- that was so BIG, all they can say is “O God!”

Asaph says, Today I see no miracles- so I will turn my mind to miracles in Israel’s history. Not just acknowledging them- but meditating on what God has done. I will recall God’s faithfulness to Moses and relive the crossing of the Red Sea.

As his focus shifts from his problems to God’s promises, he has a PIVOT– a change of perspective. In the first part of the Psalm 77 in NIV, Asaph used words like I, me, and my 22 times. Only 11 times he referred to God by name, title or pronoun and that’s in complaint.

After he chose to remember, – He referred to God 24 times and of himself only to express his intentional choices  –  “I will…remember”  “I will…meditate”  “I will…consider”.

He PIVOTS!

What are you looking at-your circumstances, your emotions, your fears? Or are you choosing to PIVOT?  Willing to remember, to meditate, to consider?  

Just like the RED SEA, when Asaph SAW YOU O GOD… things happened.

That leads us to the 4th Pointer finger.  How appropriate because it points us to see God! O: O God, 

When our focus is on him, things happen! 

We see that He sees us.  We experience intimacy with him.  Our circumstances may not change, but we do!

We praise!

We worship!

We gain perspective and courage!  

How well do you know Him?  God’s Word is full of stories of God at work and words that describe His character.

Need something to guide you in keeping your focus on Him? Turn on your praise music.  I like to use Spotify. My friend Becky Harling has a 30 Days of Praise station that I love to use. 

• Identifying we have a Need- little finger open
• Expressing our fears and emotions honestly- ring finger open
  
• Choosing to Pivot- middle finger open
  
• Postions us to see God- O God!- pointer finger open

All that is left is for us to open up our thumb-  with hope!

Henry Nouwen, “I see hope as an attitude where everything stays open before me.  Not that I don’t think of my future in those moments, but I think of it in an entirely different way.  Daring to stay open to what ever will come to me today, tomorrow, two months from now, or a year from now- that is hope.  To go FEARLESSLY into things without knowing how they’ll turn out, to keep on going, even when something doesn’t work the first time, to have trust in whatever you’re doing- that is living with hope.”

Psalm 56-3 & 4  “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise!

Isaiah 41:10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Here’s to an OPEN HANDED, fear released Christmas!  For you and me!

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NOTE: It occurred to me as I was writing this year’s series on FEAR- that I have written about it the last 2 years about this time. Hmmm?  But as I have read through the Christmas story- I see the words Do not Fear several times too.  I guess I’m not the only one who deals with fear this time of the year. Here are the links to those posts if you dare to read more!

I Have Lived Afraid
brickhousenews.blogspot.com/2013/11/i-have-lived-afraid.html

A Study of “Do Not Be Afraid!”
http://brickhousenews.blogspot.com/2012/12/study-of-do-not-be-araid.html