What's That In Your Hand?

WHAT’S THAT IN YOUR HAND?

EXODUS 4:1-2

Pastor Greg Mc Donald

There is a story found in the book of Exodus that I want to share with you this morning that I think we should all be able to relate to...because in this story we find the mighty, miracle working power of God being realized by a very human guy in an out of the way place...a man who looked at things much like many of us do.

The man I’m referring to is Moses. We all know the story of Moses...how he was born of Hebrew parents and had to be placed in the bulrushes in a basket so he wouldn’t be killed. We also know he was discovered by Pharaoh’s daughter, who took him and made him her son. He was taught and trained in the finest of settings and given prominence in the land.

But the saying goes, "You can take the man out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the man." This was true of Moses. They took him away from his people, but they couldn’t take his people away from his heart. We’re not sure when he discovered who he really was, but somewhere, somehow the truth became known to him.

And Moses must have cringed every time a whip cracked against a trembling Hebrew slave’s back. It must have grieved him tremendously to see the horrible ways they were treated. Growing up in the house of Pharaoh’s daughter, he never knew the cruelty of the slave drivers...but apparently he was tormented inside. Why did his people have to suffer so much?

This question plagued his mind until he finally acted on it. He took the life of one of those slave drivers and had to run for his life, and he ended up tending livestock on the back side of the desert. And for forty years one question haunted him continually: "God, why don’t you help them?" Well, finally God answered Moses’ question. Let’s read about this...Exodus 3: 1-11 READ

After forty years of wondering and questioning why God didn’t help them, God said to Moses..."Why don’t you deliver them?" But Moses wasn’t eager to be a part of that plan. He didn’t want to take one step in that parade. Let’s look over to chapter 4:1-2 READ

Some people, like Moses, see a need...and it’s important that we can see the needs around us. Often do we carry around a burden for a certain situation, problem. Many have, for years, carried around a burden for someone’s salvation...or for a healing...or maybe a deliverance of a habit or lifestyle.

And God hears those prayers and cries for help. But when God chooses us to be the instrument for deliverance...we’re so quick to say, "Hey, not me what could I possibly do?" Call the pastor...or call the elders.

But God said to Moses: "Look at what you have in your hand right now. You can take what you have and use it to meet the need - if you let Me help you." The key to the miraculous is first of all seeing the need - but then letting God use what is in your hand."

God spoke to Moses out of a burning bush...and told him about the promise to give the Israelites the land of Canaan...and that he was the one who was going to deliver them. And there were a lot of questions racing through Moses’ mind. Like, "Who me?"....and "Why me?" ... and then the familiar "I can’t do it!"

Moses tried his best to get out of it, but that’s when God asked him, "What is that in your hand?" Now that was an easy question...it’s a staff. A simple, hunk of wood. And what good is a staff going to do for me against all the might of Egypt? He probably thought that the only thing he could lead out of Egypt would be the sheep.

But the staff of Moses...a simple shepherds stick...became the staff of God.A staff that Moses used to performed many miracles before Pharaoh...turned the waters of the Nile into blood and brought out the frogs, gnats, locusts, thunder and hail...

He lifted up that staff over the Red Sea, and it parted. He struck the rock a Meribah and out flowed the water. This simple little piece of wood became the staff of God!

And let me tell you - the principle remains the same. God can take our limited abilities and limited resources and use them for great purposes. The key is offering up those abilities... small as they may seem...to God. That’s when that insignificant thing in our hand becomes the staff of God.

The apostle Paul was one who learned a great lesson after facing impossible situations and obstacles with limited ability...we read about it in 2 Corinthians 12:9: "My grace is sufficient for you...for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."