What Is That In Your Hands?

This is the question that the Lord asked of Moses when he was told that he was going to lead the Israelites out of their slavery in the hands of the Egyptians. In Exodus 4:2, instead of answering Moses’ question of ”What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?” (v.1), the Lord asked him what it is that he has at that very moment.

He was second guessing himself. He was unsure if he could really lead these many people. Moreover, he was in doubt that he would convince the Israelites if what he said was true and assure them that he could be trusted. If we read on, Moses would even make certain excuses on using his limitations (v.10). But when Moses was in doubt of all these, he was asked just one thing.  What is that in your hands?

A staff. He was eighty years old and boy he was walking on the country, climbing mountains, tending the flock, he must really need some help! But the staff was made a daily part of his life, maybe something he was used to having and carry along with him. But God did something so wonderful:

Throw it on the ground

Following his answer of what is in his hands, the Lord asked Moses to throw it on the ground (v.3) When we second-guessed ourselves, there are things that we hung on to – things that we thought were ordinary and we could not live without. But sometimes, God will ask us to throw it on the ground. Leave it. Depart from it (for a while). Do not cling to it anymore.

It became a snake

The staff was changed. Had he not thrown it on the ground, it would not have been a form of miracle. Sometimes, when God asks us to throw something on the ground, we should really throw it on the ground! Even if we don’t know yet what He is about to do, here we could see that He used whatever was in Moses’ hand to perform a miracle and to change his perspective and remove his doubts. In the same way, I believe that God can turn whatever it is in your hands and make it a miracle or transform it into something else –  but sometimes, we have to throw it first.

Scared? God is there.

Fear drove out Moses and made him ran away from the transformed staff/snake – if not, I don’t know what is. Maybe he was astonished by the miracle God did, maybe he was scared of the snake itself or he was just not sure how to respond to the miracle that was performed in front of him. And yes, sometimes when our doubts were set free…our ordinary things became miracles for us, we tend to run away – for different reasons of course. But God is there. He is telling you to reach out your hand and take hold of it by the tail. Scared that something has changed? God is telling you to take hold of that change!

I believe that when you are in doubt today, God asks you one question…”What is that in your hands?” I hope we will be honest in telling God what we have in our grip, allow Him to intervene and trust Him that He knows what is best – He could turn that thing into a miracle! Do not be afraid when He does something right in front of your face – He is right there with you and He will use it to remove your self doubt and the doubt of others (v. 5).

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