What is That in Your Hand

As believers, we often feel inadequate in our ability to have an effect in the Body of Christ. We see pastors and teachers help people interpret God’s Word. We see others called to the mission field. We ask ourselves what value can I add to the cause of sharing Christ with this broken world?

Moses felt the same way when God approached him. How could he lead the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt? Why would they believe him? As he was trying to understand God’s call in his life, we read this interchange between God and Moses in Exodus 4.

Exodus 4:1-5

¹Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?”

²Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”

“A staff,” he replied.

³The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.”

Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a snake, and he ran from it. ⁴Then the Lord said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So, Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. ⁵“This,” said the Lord, “is so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.”

Moses was a shepherd. The only thing he had in his hand was a shepherd’s staff. God showed Moses that the simple thing he held in his hand could be a mighty tool when he was on God’s mission.

So again, I ask what is in your “hand”? We are all born with natural talents and passions. When we become followers of Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes into our lives and gives each believer spiritual gifts. These gifts and passions are the “tools in our hands” to use in the Kingdom.

Ephesians 2:10 says-

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

I believe the problem is we see the Moses of our day like a Billy Graham, but don’t realize that God also needed Caleb to be with Moses to carry out His plan. When the twelve spies were sent into the promise land, only Joshua and Caleb believed God could lead them to victory. Caleb simply believed and followed.

What do you really enjoy? Spending time with babies, or toddlers, or teens? Spending time with lonely people like the elderly? Sharing good resource books and websites? Making a meal for someone or for a larger group like a hurting family at the loss of a loved one? Reaching out to a first-time visitor at church to make them feel welcome and answer questions they may have?

The list goes on and on. It is as long as the needs in this hurting world.  That takes us back to the original question God asked Moses. What is that in your hand?  

As a personal example, He has led me to blog. I remember coming to an understanding about Scripture and then asking God why do I know these things. His answer is always the same, because I want you to know. It doesn’t need to be some grandiose reason. Just simply He wants me to know.

Then occasionally the thought will turn into a blog. I often ask myself who even cares what I think about this subject? God’s answer is, let Me decide who needs to hear the thought I have given you. It always amazes me when someone from Nigeria or Kenya reads a blog that I posted a year or two ago. I email a few people I know and people from thirteen countries have read the blogs over the last ten years. He is amazing!

I have come to realize all I need to do is post a blog on the thoughts He has given me. God is big enough to reach who He wants to reach in His timing. My job is to just follow His lead, not try to understand why. We have no idea of the Kingdom value God will create if we just use the gifts and passions He has given us to touch this world. Again, I ask what is that in your hand?