What’s In Your Hand?

Exodus 4:2-So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.” NKJV

Many people are waiting around for God to use them? Me too! But I’ve recently heard that God is waiting around so that He can use us! That’s an interesting thought to have! In our text, God wanted to use Moses, but Moses felt unworthy and unqualified for service to God. But God asked Him a simple question: What’s in your hand?

God used many people throughout the scriptures with what they had in their hands. A favorite of most people would be David. In 1 Samuel 17, David sees the giant Goliath mocking the armies of the Lord. He decided that this was wrong on every level and someone should deal with Goliath. So he volunteered. Saul tries to give David a suit of armor, but David replies:

“I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off.

1 Samuel 17:39 NKJV

David didn’t know how to use the weaponry that Saul had learned to use and had mastered. Therefore, he used what was in his hand, a slingshot.

So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David.

1 Samuel 17:50 NKJV 

David was willing to be used by God, but he had to use what was in his hands. When he twirled that sling, the power of God got behind that rock and caused it to hit its target with a force strong enough to immobilize Goliath! Then David chopped off Goliath’s head with Goliath’s own sword! The rest, as we say, is history! David killed Goliath and defeated the Philistines. Eventually, he learned to use the armor of warfare, but he started with what was in his hands.

Gideon wasn’t the bravest person in the city. Nor was he necessarily looking to be used by God. But God had an assignment for him to do. Just when God had convinced him to go along with the plan, God pulled back the security blanket. Gideon felt he could go against the Midianites because he had over 30,000 men with him; but, that wasn’t the plan.

And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’

Judges 7:2 NKJV

God didn’t want Gideon and the Israelites to think they were the ones who had brought about deliverance to Israel, nor did He want them to take His glory. So Gideon went from 32,000 men to 300 men. Then, God sent Him to defeat the Midianites.

Then he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet into every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers. 

Judges 7:16 NKJV

Those are some interesting weapons that God instructed Gideon to use: an empty pitcher with a torch inside and a trumpet. Not only did they have seemingly inferior weapons, they were outnumbered. But God had a plan!

When the three hundred blew the trumpets, the Lord set every man’s sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the army fled to Beth Acacia, toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath.

Judges 7:22 NKJV

When they blew the trumpets, the Bible tells us that the Lord caused every man in the Midianite camp to take up his sword against his companion. They killed each other as if they had lost their minds! However God made it happen, God used what they had in their hands to defeat their enemies.

Let’s return to our key verse! When God asked Moses what was in his hand, Moses replied, “A rod.”

And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it.

Exodus 4:3 NKJV

Moses’ rod was a stick! But when God got ahold of it, it became a serpent! God used that rod to lead the children of Israel out of bondage! Moses thought it was just a stick, but God caused it to become much more!

There was a woman who had a jar of oil. It was all she had, but God multiplied it so she could pay off her debtors and provide for her family. A young boy attended one of Jesus’ meetings with two fish and five loaves, but God used his lunch to feed the 5,000. Over and over again, we see God using what is already available to do great things.

I’ve been praying, asking God to use me in His kingdom! I want to preach to the masses, I said! Then He opened my understanding to see that He was already using me in His kingdom! By putting my computer to use, (something I already have), I can blog regularly and share the word of God. When I use my phone, I call people and encourage them or pray for them. I have a cell phone, and you probably have one, too! Sometimes when people ask me to pray for them I send them a voice memo of me praying for them. These are some simple ways God uses me to bless others in bigger ways!

Maybe you have been wondering if God could or would ever use you! Yes, He can! He is probably already doing it! But maybe, you can be open to other ways for Him to use what is in your hand! Can you cook a meal for a family or senior citizen? Can you cut someone’s lawn, or rake some leaves? There are all kinds of ways that we can use our hands, or what is in our hands, to bless others. These things help to push the kingdom forward because they bless the people of God! What’s in your hands that you can use to do something great and special for the Lord? It may seem small to you, but you never know how it will impact the recipient or the kingdom! Think about it, and then get busy! Wonderful Jesus!