IT’S OUT OF MY HANDS!
Count your blessings
Name them one by one.
Count your blessings
See what God has done.
What a sweet and melodic chorus that we all have sung many times?
We know these words to be so true.
Don’t we?
There are times (in our lives) when those words become so real to us.
And there are other times when all we want to count on is –
· How many times someone has failed us, or hurt us?
· How many times a promise has been made but not kept?
We remind ourselves that we have done all we know to do. We become frustrated with something or someone and we tell ourselves there really is nothing else we can do.
How often do we say to ourselves,
“It’s out of my hands!”
To help us to better understand some of our frustrations, I want to consider the man of God named, Moses.
Most of us are familiar with his story.
Moses’ life can be divided into 3 periods of time of 40 years.
1. The first 40 years were spent in the palace of the king of Egypt (the place of pomp & privilege).
2. The next 40 years were spent in the wilderness as a shepherd (place of preparation).
3. The last 40 were spent leading the children to the Promised Land (place of perseverance).
I want us to look at one incident that occurred during the time when Moses was a shepherd. In the 3rd and 4th chapters of Exodus, we’re told how Moses led a flock of sheep that belonged to his father-in-law, Jethro.
Moses walked along, leaning on his staff, picking his way through the rough terrain of Mt. Horeb.
Occasionally, Moses would prod the sheep that had strayed from the path with the staff/rod in his hand.
Suddenly an angel of God appeared to Moses out of a burning bush.
God spoke to Moses and told him that he would (one day) lead the children of Israel out of slavery.
Moses protested and gave God 4 reasons why he wouldn’t be able to:
(1) Unworthy – he was a murderer
(2) Ignorant – no godly training
(3) lacked the eloquence of being able to speak
(4) no one would believe him.
Basically Moses said,
“IT IS OUT OF MY HANDS.”
You see, Moses knew he had already done all he could do. He gave up.
Moses had tried once before and failed. As far as Moses was concerned, saving his friends and loved ones from the tyranny of Egyptian slavery was out of his hands.
The Lord was patient with Moses, and continued to persuade Moses that he was just the right shepherd for the job.
Text: Exodus 4:1 thru 5 (NIV)
In our text, we see God reassuring Moses with an extraordinary miracle.
God has asked Moses an important (and prophetic) question that I would suggest He is asking each of us today.
“What is that in your hand?”
For Moses, it was his staff – just an ordinary shepherd’s staff which he had used for the past 40 years.
God told Moses to throw it down.
When Moses did, it turned into a snake.
The Bible says, “Moses ran from it.” That makes sense. You would too!
In our text, I see a frail man that God wants to use. This morning (in fact), I see lots of frail men and women, boys and girls that God wants to use.
God’s House is full of frail & frightened folks that God wants to use.
It’s okay to admit you are afraid, and haven’t quite got it all together.
We know that Moses ran, but he must have come back.
So you see - you are a lot like Moses.
You keep coming back here. I sure am glad you didn’t run off and not come back. I think you and I both know that God’s not threw with you.
People get scared of the miracles of God sometimes and run off. And a lot of times they find their way back.
There are some people who are afraid of what God may want.
Consider this - God then told Moses to pick the snake up by the tail. I gotta’ tell you - that’s not the way I would have done it. I would have taken another rod and beat that snake silly.
But Moses did what God told him to do. When he did, the snake turned back into a staff. It was miraculous!
Moses experienced/sensed the trustworthiness of God’s Holy Word.
What God says is always true.
God will always be patient with you and I and helps us to grow in His faith.
God delights in operating in the miraculous and in the supernatural.
God did a lot with Moses’ staff:
• Moses struck the Nile river and it turned to blood (7:17),
• brought a plague of frogs out of the waters (8:5),
• struck the dust and turned them into gnats (8:16),
• stretched it toward heaven to bring down fire, thunder, and hail (9:23),
• brought a plague of locust (10:13),
• divided the Red Sea (14:16),
• struck a rock with it and got water (17:6)
• and when he held it high in the air, his warriors prevailed in battle (17:9).
God used the staff in Moses’ hand -
· As a tool of God’s authority.
· To get the God’s job done.
· To get God’s children delivered from Egyptian bondage.
And so I asked the question again,
“What is that in your hand?”
The Lord has used what people had in their hands many times to prove His power and authority to them:
· Miriam (Moses’ sister) had in her hand a tambourine, and she used it to lead the people to praise God after crossing Red Sea.
So what do you have in your hand?
· David had a sling in his hand, and the giant Goliath fell when he used it.
So what do you have in your hand?
· All the widow had was enough food for one more meal for her and her son. But she offered it up for God’s prophet, Elijah.
So, what do you have in your hand?
· All the little boy had was a sack lunch, but Jesus used it to feed 5000.
So, what do you have in your hand?
· All that Mary of Bethany had was a jar of precious perfume to bless Jesus with.
So, what do you have in your hand?
· The poor widow only had two copper coins in her hands.
It was precious to Jesus.
So, what do you have in your hand?
There are three things we should do with what we have in our hands:
1. God cannot use anything we have until we let go of it. He will not force us to give up anything. But when we willingly offer it to Him, He will do great things with whatever we have.
2. God did not ask Moses to use something he does not have. God always uses what we have. God has never demanded from us what we do not have.
3. We will never know the full potential of what we have until we allow God to have full control of it.
Who you are, and what you have, means nothing until you have given it to God. Whether you are educated or not, rich or poor, young or old.
It does not matter to God!
God is not looking for your capabilities, or your abilities.
God only looks for us to be available
with our talents and possessions,
God accepts you as you are and begins to use you where you are.
I realize that each of us are different. We were all made unique.
What you do for the Lord will never be the same as the person next to you.
Regardless, the situation or circumstance you are going through may still be in your hands.
God is asking,
“What is that in your hand?”
TIME
This is something we all have an equal amount of. Obviously, what we do with our time is important. Our time can be spent for ourselves, or for the Lord. With our time we either waste it or we glorify the Lord. With the things of God, there are no idle moments.
We have been created to glorify the Lord. And most of the time, we do glorify Him without even realizing it.
Let me show you what I am saying.
Let’s say that each day there is $86,400.00 deposited into your checking account. But if any of this money is unused and left over at the end of the day, it is automatically withdrawn from your account.
In other words, at midnight you would see $86,400.00 deposited. But 24 hours later, there would be none of this money left. Completely withdrawn from your account.
Stay with me……..
Anything you wisely invest is yours to keep forever. And anything you waste is gone immediately.
What would you do with that kind of an opportunity? Does this sound too far fetched? It isn’t if you consider that there is 86,400 seconds in everyday that we are given by God.
You and I are entrusted with something far more important than money. And that is our time.
This day will soon be passed,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Take time for God—its life’s only lasting investment.
Take time to pray—it will draw you closer to God.
Take time to worship—its what the angels do all day long.
Take time to love others—it’s the commandment of Christ.
Take time to serve God—it’s the act and purpose of adoration.
Take time to be holy—for without holiness no man shall see the Lord
God is asking you,
“What is that in your hand?”
Energy
This is a word that may not have as much meaning to those who are still young. The older I get, the more I cherish ENERGY.
How many remember the “Energy Crisis” almost 20 years ago and how our lives would never be the same?
The whole world was running out of gas. Cars backed up for blocks waiting to fill their tanks.
There is a much greater “Energy Crisis” today, and it can be found in the local church. Many Christians are now running out of gas. They are stalling out in the middle of the road.
Many are too busy with their personal lives, personal goals to have time for God. I’m busy. You’re busy.
Everyone’s busy with so many things.
The secret and success to life is now called, “time management.”
Most people who do not go to church on a given Sunday, or for a month, or a year, give their reason as being “too tired to attend”.
And you know what, I believe them.
QUESTIONS:
What are you doing with the energy that God has given to you?
With each new day, do you give your first and best moments to God?
Do you have enough spiritual stamina for the long haul of life?
My friend, don’t drift through this life.
Any dead fish can float downstream. It takes effort to swim against the current and serve God. Amen?
POSSESSIONS
And once again, God is asking you as He asked Moses,
“What is that in your hand?”
Is it your checkbook? Is it your car keys? The keys to everything you own? Or is it everything God owns and has entrusted you with?
I know as well as anyone in this room how hard every one of you work for what you have. Some of you work and God provides for your needs.
Others of you work much harder than God ever intended you to work to provide for yourself. God’s first plan for your life is not to work harder than your body, or your spirit, will allow.
Rather - God always intends you to be obedient to His Word. Regardless of how impossible you think that is.
Moses heard God speak to Him about what he was to do with his life. Moses only saw all his impossibilities.
All through chapters 3 and 4 of Exodus, Moses made a lot of excuses.
He told God how incapable he was.
Conclusion:
Here is God’s plan for us:
1. God asked Moses for whatever he had in his hand.
2. God pressed Moses to be obedient to His Word.
God wants the same from each of us. Simply to give it up, and be obedient to His Word.
Especially when it comes to our possessions. When we let go of our personal possessions, and throw them down, God is sure to make a miracle.
God is asking,
“What is that in your hands?”
