https://odb.org/2024/08/30/whats-in-your-hand-2
When God first appeared at the burning bush and called Moses to deliver the Israelites out of Egypt (you may read this in Exodus 3), Moses queried who was he that the Pharoah would listen to him? The LORD replied that He would be with him. In Exodus 4:1-5, Moses continued to query God on what if the Israelites themselves do not believe him or listen to him or say that the LORD did not appear to him? The LORD replied, “What is that in your hand?” Moses replied it’s a staff and as the LORD asked him to throw it on the ground, it became a snake and as he picked it up, it became a staff again. Thus, the staff became somewhat magical, but we know that it was not the staff but God being with Moses that transformed that ordinary staff to become something that could turn into a snake.
The spiritual principle is that God can use whatever we have or whatever little we have for His plans and purposes. What’s in your hand? Meaning, what do you have? I can use that, says the LORD. Like the widow with a little oil and flour at a time of famine to make her last meal for her son, God through Elijah, miraculously made it possible for her little oil and flour to last for months to feed her, her child and Elijah! But the miracle was only possible because God was with Elijah and the widow, and it served God’s purpose in preserving the life of Elijah. In other words, God must be in the picture, and it must be for His purposes. Inevitably, blessings will flow. But it starts with whatever we have and more crucially, God being with us.
I believe what’s in our hands is an important spiritual principle. When we want to serve God, God will start with what we have. It doesn’t need to wait until we have time, or we have retired or we have achieved our career goals or after our children have left the nest. It doesn’t need to wait until we have acquired our seminary education or like an athlete after we have prepared and trained. It can start immediately with what we have in our hands, like Moses with his staff. But it is crucial that Exodus 4 is to be read with Exodus 3, and that means that God must also be with us. “I am with you” and “What is that in your hand” are the two important phrases in today’s message. Remember them and step out in faith and serve God!
Ronnie's Thoughts 