In Your Hand “So the Lord said to him, ‘What is in your hand? He said, “A rod.’ And He said, ‘Cast it on the ground.’” Exodus 4:2-3   The deliverer had just received the assignment. With shoes removed, he was humbled before the Lord as His voice beckoned from the burning bush. The cries of oppression had reached His ears. His eyes witnessed His people held in the grip of slavery. And His eyes were focused upon a shepherd being prepared on the backside of the desert. The seeds of Moses’ calling were implanted years before, however a time of preparation was necessary for the Lord to work His deliverance through a yielded man.   Moses was full with questions. “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt (Ex.3:11)?” What shall I say to them, when they ask who sent me (vs. 13)?” With assurance God spoke the plan. “I will surely be with you ... (vs. 12a).” “And God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ He continued in reference to being the God of the forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The years in the desert had stripped Moses. The days as the son of Pharaoh were days of boldness and confidence. “And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in words and deeds (Acts. 7:22).” Forty years, the prophetic number of testing, left him questioning his ability. Is it any wonder that this was the design of God? “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly, therefore I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me... for when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Cor.12:9-10).” Once again a question, … “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you (Ex. 4:1).’” God, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever declared ‘I AM’ has been with you, is with you, and forever will be with you. Without answering the question, God asked a question that brought correction. Stop looking at yourself Moses, “What’s in your hand?” That rod, the staff of Moses, was no more a mere leaning post for the shepherd. But was to become the staff of God. That rod of wood, when commanded to be cast down became a mighty source of the miraculous power of the living God.   Wood represents humanity. Our limited self, our temporal existence, our capacity. And God told Moses, “Cast it to the ground.” As the Lord upon the wooden cross, our lives cast upon the altar of yielded submission to His grace and power must be cast to the ground before they can be used in glory. The rod became a serpent upon the ground. Moses jumped away. The vileness and cunning nature of this creature was used in the manifestation of the devil himself in another wilderness of temptation (Gen. 3:1). Yet upon the Lords instruction, Moses picked it up by the tail and immediately it became the rod once again. Staffs had etchings of history in their sides. The pictures displaying God’s testimonies were engraved in the rod. And Moses daily leaned and walked with that present reminder of God’s faithfulness. That rod of Moses would part the Red Sea, it would strike a rock and see water pour forth, and it was raised over battle until Israel was victorious.   The Lord has etched the testimony of His faithfulness into our lives. People are held captive and we are called to be the staff in His Hand for which He, the deliverer, can again show Himself mighty.   In Him,   Pastor Sharon Carlson 5/12