Safe Crossing: What’s in your Hand?
“And the Lord asked him, what is that in your hand?” This scripture came to me quite strongly yesterday morning. Of course in my usual roundabout way, I will let you know, but first, a very short story. A few days ago, I was ecstatic about acquiring new beauty products, but that didn’t last very long as I was led to give out most of them to a family member. The Lord definitely loves a cheerful giver, but yours truly was far from cheerful. It was silent grumbling all the way. “I need back up to keep in my bathroom, and perhaps some for my gym bag. With limited resources, how am I supposed to replace these items? It’s very interesting how the Lord takes notes of our thoughts and thought processes.
Anyway, sometime in the early hours of the morning of the 30th, a wonderful surprise awaited. I was playing around with the Macy’s website and to my utmost delight, I found unused gift cards valued much more than the beauty products I had given out. Another surprise lay in store as I did some light cleaning. Right there underneath the bathroom sink, this beautiful fragrance beckoned at me. Wow! So I had all this sitting pretty and had no idea?
“And the Lord asked him, what is that in your hand?” (Exodus 4:2) The Lord was speaking to Moses. Moses would embark on a life changing journey of redeeming his people from the extreme bondage of the Egyptians. This seemed an impossible feat, a journey larger than life but it was made possible because of that which he already had.
“And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, a rod. And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand. That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.” (Exodus 4:2-4)
The year 2023 is coming to a close. As we crossover into 2024, this scripture resonates quite deeply within. We probably have unfulfilled dreams we hope to realize, dreams that seem larger than life and ultimately impossible, but the good news is that the means to achieving these dreams are actually in our hands.
Moses had a solution in his hand but may not have realized it. It looked too ordinary. How could a mere stick be instrumental to redeeming his people from a powerful king? How could a mere stick redeem his people from centuries of extreme oppression? To Moses, it was a mere stick, but with God, that mere stick was an instrument in Moses’ hand through which the impossible would be achieved. Moses’ stick indeed formed an interesting pattern. With the same stick, his oppressors were totally consumed by the parting of the Red Sea.
Going through my bathroom, another surprise emerged. This time, it was material for yet another children’s book. So in the space of an hour, I had three surprises – gift cards, a fragrance and material for another publication. Indeed I had all these and didn’t know. Perhaps this was a sign to look within and stop complaining.
What do you have in your hand? Have you identified what this is? A combination of that which you have and God’s touch will definitely achieve the impossible. When Moses’ rod turned into a serpent, he fled from it. Indeed, what we have can be that powerful, a potential that should never be underestimated.
Let us bear this in mind as we crossover into 2024. We hold the power to achieve the impossible. However, the key to realizing this is by identifying what we have, our pattern, listening carefully and obeying instructions. We have powerful tools in our hand but we need to know when and when not to use them. It’s interesting that this same rod would cost Moses the Promised Land. In the Wilderness of Zin, Moses struck the rock in anger and not speaking to it as the Lord instructed.
Having said that, I wish you a safe crossing into 2024 and pray that which is in your hand be fully utilized according to the unique pattern the Good Lord has designed for you.
Happy New Year!
