What Is That in Your Hand?

“The Lord said to him (Moses), “What is that in your hand?”  “A staff, he replied”.  Throw it on the ground” (Ex. 4:2-3).

Hey Gang, How many out there believe that Moses was a very tough and stubborn sort of hombre?

I believe God equipped him that way for the impossible tasks ahead. God was preparing him to, not

only take on the powers of Pharaoh, but also to deal with the nearly impossible elements of forty years in the wilderness with a million or so people-and even God described them as “Stiff-necked people”. 

Forty years in the house of Pharaoh and, much of that as second in command of the greatest power on

earth at that time, Egypt, then forty years of dealing with the impossible elements of the wilderness

while caring for a bunch of sheep, had made him one tough hombre.  But something was ‘fixen’ to

happen that would change his life forever! Moses 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 ‘burning bush’ that did not burn.  The burning bush was a phenomenal sight, but he was about to come face to face with a ‘blow your mind’ event.                                                                                                                                                                                                

 A voice came out of the bush (God’s voice) and said, “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” (Exod. 3:5-6).

The story of Moses’ encounter with God is, indeed, a wonderful story.  If you are not up to speed on the  whole story, I strongly suggest you take your Bible and get alone with God and read the whole story.  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”.   (Ex. 4:2).

“God said, “Throw it on the ground”… and it turned into a serpent and Moses fled from it.”  (Ex. 4:3) 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” (Ex.3:4).    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 it 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, He also knows that many of those ‘best things’ have serpents in them that can be harmful in our walk with the Lord. 

So, my young friends, be sure to 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