What’s in your hand?

There is a credit card company that uses famous actors to extol the wonderful virtues of using their card. Their now-famous line at the end of the commercials is “What’s in your wallet?” In other words, with their credit card in your wallet, you have great spending power, and all your cares are over…until the bill comes in the mail!

In a higher (and holier way), God says to us… “What’s in your hand?”

We learned during the pandemic that we can do without a lot of things we thought we needed. We often approach the task and ministry to which the Lord has called us by saying, “If I only had this tool,” or “If I had that set of folks on my team,” thinking this is what is needed to do what God has enlisted us to do.

Reading through the Bible, a practice of mine for over ten years, has recently taken me back through Exodus. We find the amazing story of Moses, who was in great favor with the Egyptian royalty, then out of favor and somewhat exiled to the back side of the wilderness, tending flocks. Until God spoke to him.

Do you remember the encounter? The bush in the wilderness was burning…but it wasn’t burning up. Just burning. Moses said to himself, “I have got to see this amazing sight.” Of course, when he arrived, he found himself on holy ground with the great God of the universe speaking directly to him. Moses was shocked and overwhelmed. Who wouldn’t be? But that feeling led Moses to express himself to God in a way that angered the Lord.

“Who am I?”

A number of years ago I was on the verge of being named to a key position. It was a position of honor…but it was overwhelming to me. So much so that I called my spiritual mentor, Dr. Henry Blackaby, and explained my situation. And I quoted Moses at that point. “Who am I?” I should have remembered what happened when Moses said that. Dr. Blackaby did remember…and he gently said to me, “Ron, you shouldn’t be saying, ‘Who am I?’ You should be saying, ‘Who is God?’” And he was absolutely right.

As I recently reread that encounter between God and Moses, I was struck by a phrase that the Lord uttered to Moses as he was trying to explain his mission and how it would be accomplished.

“What is that in your hand?”

Exodus 4:2 NLT

Moses was trying to figure out how it was all going to work. God wanted Moses to simply commit and obey. What Moses had in his hand was what he had been using for those 40 years to herd sheep and goats. A shepherd’s staff. A rod. A big stick. But God had a formula for success that exceeded Moses’ understanding. Here it is.

God + You + Your Obedience = Success

The Lord then began to show Moses how it was going to work. If Moses would be obedient, be willing to use what was already in his hand and follow God’s direction, Moses would be successful in rescuing the children of Israel from the oppression of the people of Egypt.

Today, we have a world living under sin’s oppression. What will it take to successfully show them there is freedom in Christ?

What is in your hand?

What has the Lord already provided you in the way of skills, opportunities, wisdom, and passion? Will you be obedient to the Lord as He speaks to your heart? Instead of saying “Who am I?” or “How can I do this great task?” you should say “Yes, Lord. Use me and what I have in my hand to impact lives with your Truth.”