What Is That In Your Hand?

 "I, even, I will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do” (Ex 4:15). "Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say." (Ex. 4:12).

Hey Gang, How many out there believe Moses was a very tough and stubborn sort of hombre.  I believe God equipped him that way for He had an impossible task that He was preparing him for.  Not only was he going to take on the power of Pharaoh, but would also deal with the nearly impossible elements of forty years in the wilderness with a million or so people that even God described as “Stiffnecked”.

Forty years, as second in command of the greatest power on earth at that time, Egypt, and forty years of dealing with the impossible elements of the wilderness, caring for a bunch of sheep, had made him one tough dude.   But something was fixen’ to happen that would change his life forever, he had an encounter with a “burning bush” that did not burn.

 Did you ever have a life changing experience?  Moses was about to have one.  He decided he needed to take a closer look at this bush that did not burn.  The ‘burning bush’ was a phenomenal sight to see but he was about to come face to face with a “blow your mind” event!

 A voice, (God’s) came out of the bush and said to Moses, “Do not come near here; remove your  sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.  I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”  “Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.” (Ex 3:5)

 The story of Moses’ encounter with God is indeed a wonderful story.  If you are not up to speed on the  whole story, and nothing but the story, I strongly suggest you take your Bible and get alone with God and read the whole story found in Exodus.  It is worth the investment of time.

 But, let’s skip down to the life changing experience that applies to every believer who encounters difficulties in their walk with the Lord.  After Moses gave five reasons why God had chosen the wrong person for this assignment, God lost patience with Moses and said,  “Moses what is that in your hand?” to which Moses responded, “a staff”. 

God said, “Throw it on the ground”. It turned into a serpent and Moses fled from it.  After 40 years in the wilderness Moses knew the perils of getting to close to a serpent.  Then God said, “pick it up by the tail!”.    I don’t know what Moses said but I think I would have said, “You have got to be kidding!”  But when God is giving the orders if pays to be obedient.

Hence, from that point on the “rod” became the rod of spiritual authority, called the “Rod of God”.  We know from the Bible that God wants his children to have the best, but we also know that many of those best things have serpents in them that can be harmful in our walk with the Lord. 

 Soooo, My young friends, be sure you throw all of the neat bangles and beads on the ground and let God take the serpent out of them.  I promise if they are going to make you a better disciple for Him, He will give them back to you – serpent-less!

Blessings, 

Gramps