Day 26 - What is in Your Hand?

Today's Reading: Ex. 3-4, and Matt. 19

Isn't it interesting that after all the time in the courts of Egypt, Moses thought he was ready to deliver Israel, and he attempted to do just that in his youthful strength. But God had to send him to the wilderness for another 40 years to humble him and show him how UNQUALIFIED he was before he could start leading the children of Israel successfully! And so God has allowed many of His great men over the centuries to have a time in the wilderness before He really began to use them mightily. In fact, if you ask most leaders in ministry or in the church today, you will probably find that they TOO have walked their years in the wilderness...

In Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 255 we are told, "Had Moses relied upon his own strength and wisdom, and eagerly accepted the great charge [when God came to him at the burning bush], he would have evinced his entire unfitness for such a work." Wow! Good lessons for us today!!

I really love Exodus 4:1-2 where Moses starts arguing with God about his LACK of qualifications... And yet God responds, "What's in your hand? Just use what what's in your hand!"

What was in Moses hand? The ROD! Let's think about that a minute... A rod is used for many things, and all men carried rods in Bible times. It was a means of protection, a measuring stick, something that guides, comforts, and chastens! What is the Word of God? It's a Rod...the Rod that measures and divides truth from darkness, that guides us, comforts us, chastens us. 

Imagine if today's Christian men and women carried the ROD (the Word of God) with them everywhere they went like the men of Israel carried their staff/rod!

Who is the real ROD?? Jesus Christ! "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots." Isa. 11:1

The rod became a serpent! It became the symbol of Satan, and sin. So Jesus, our perfect righteousness cast Himself to the earth and became sin for us. 

God told Moses in Exodus 4:17, "And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs." So today the signs of Divine power can only come thru a Divine source: God! Jesus Christ! 

I''ve been trying to share only a brief nugget in these daily blogs, but everything is significant in these chapters we've been reading... and everything points to Jesus. I admit sometimes I am praying and looking more earnestly in my daily Bible reading, and sometimes I'm more weary and distracted and I'm looking only for something to minister to my urgent need... And that is enough, for God is always ready to supply our need. But as my mom use to always tell me, "You will find what you are looking for!" 

What are you looking for as you read God's Word today? Let's not settle for a superficial reading. Let's dig deeply! There's gold here... Jesus is here!

Tomorrow's Reading: Ex. 5-6, and Matthew 20