I was playing a game with some friends and it involved asset cards. Each card represents some commodity that is needed for the game. In order to teach the new player how to do well in the game, I looked at them and said, “show me your cards.” Now this person is a very tight card individual, so it took them a lot to show me what they had. After all, if I was malicious, I could ruin the game and then spoil the fun. My friend was reluctant to show their cards, but once they learned that I had no mischievous intents and only wanted to help them do well, they were willing to be open up and let me look at what they had in their hand.
God is asking us the same thing: “show Me your cards.” Too often we get uptight, even with God and we become afraid that if we let Him even look at what we have in our hand, He will take it away or we will lose it. Not so with God. He will not take anything that is necessary for us to win the race that is set before us. Perhaps He is wanting to relieve us of the burden that we cannot see. Too often we fail to remember that God already knows what is in our hands, but He is trying to get us to acknowledge Him in all our ways so that He can direct our paths like it says in Proverbs 3. If God asks us to give Him something that we are holding in our hands, it is only so our hands can be open to walk with Him. Which is better, keeping what we have in this moment or taking hold of the Master’s hand and allowing Him to lead us through the valleys or by the still waters. Truth is we are going to walk through those valleys no matter what, we should want to walk through them holding on to Jesus.
So please join me in opening up our hands to let Jesus see our “cards” so that He can take out or leave in whatever He knows we need to do well.