January 15

What’s That in Your Hand? 

There’s not many things more challenging than first hearing, and then obeying the voice of God. There are folks who would label you crazy if you told them you heard from God, and because so many others have tarnished that proclaimed experience by their immoral, unethical, and just plain weird behaviors, we must use caution with whom we share our God encounters with. But, He does talk to us, through His word, through the Holy Spirit, but only if we are listening on the same frequency He is speaking. Obeying God is not an easy task, but it is certainly not as complicated as we make it out to be. Take Moses for example. He was going to deliver his people from slavery, but doubted his own ability to perform the task. To help Moses through this process, God equipped him with some miraculous signs, take for example, the shepherd’s staff.

When Moses inquired as to how he would convince the powers that be that he was sent from God, he was instructed to throw down the shepherd’s staff and it would turn into a snake. Sounds like something from a Steven Spielberg film, but it happened as we read in Exodus. Often, all we need to take the next step in our path of obedience to God is to use what we have in accordance to the direction of God’s word. Today, maybe you are unsure of your next step. Maybe you see the challenge to be too much for you to handle. God’s saying to you, “What’s that in your hand?” Trust His leading, and He will use you in ways that will confound the wise.

Heavenly Father, Thank you for teaching me to hear Your voice through prayer, worship, and studying Your word. As I study Your word, cause it to take root in my heart, so that no unclean thing may dwell in my heart, but that I may speak Your word. Take what I have, Lord, and use it for Your glory. Here I am, send me! -Amen

But Moses protested again, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’?”
Then the Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?”
“A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied.

Exodus 4:1-2 NLT

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