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Ron Writes

Moses received the good news (Ex. 3). God had seen the affliction of His people, heard their cry and was ready to rescue them from Egypt. What a thrill! Nothing could be more exciting. Then God dropped the big news. Moses, I’m sending you to do this. What? Wait a minute. Who am I? Who shall I say sent me? What if they don’t believe (Ex. 4)? Moses, what’s in your hand? A staff. If Moses was the typical shepherd that repurposed branch was part of his daily wardrobe. Shepherds were notorious for hanging on to the same staff. It was part of him. Throw it down! It became a serpent and Moses did what you and I would do, he ran. Grab it by the tail. He did. It returned to a staff in his hand. Moses kept up with the excuses, but God was clear – you’re going to take in your hand this staff, with which you will perform signs.

So, Moses went to Egypt. The Bible says, “Moses also took the staff of God in his hand.” Did you notice that? It’s subtle. The staff was no longer the staff of Moses, it was now the “staff of God”. That staff went through a transformation. With this staff Moses would perform miracle after miracle. He would use it to lead God’s people out of Egypt and he would use it in the wilderness. It’s amazing what God was able to do through Moses and that stick of wood. Consider what God was able to do when Moses gave up his staff to God.

The story continues. Jesus proposes to His disciples that they feed the multitude, a crowd of around 5,000 men plus women and children. Phillip let Jesus know that this was impossible. This would cost over a half a year’s wages. But there was a boy there with his small lunch of 5 barley loaves and 2 fish. In the hands of Jesus that small lunch was turned into a feast. Everyone ate with 12 baskets of leftovers. In the hands of God, there is never too little. In the hands of God, the impossible becomes possible. 

This idea is repeated so many times and in so many ways and in so many lives. When we turn our lives over to God. When we put ourselves into His hands - When we trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding. God can use us in ways we never dreamed possible. He can transform our lives.