Today, I read a passage from Exodus that got me thinking about how God equips us for the tasks He sets before us.
The story begins with the Israelites enslaved in Egypt. A baby boy, Moses, is placed in a basket on the Nile and found by Pharaoh’s daughter. He grows up in the palace but, as an adult, witnesses an Egyptian beating an Israelite. In a fit of anger, he kills the Egyptian and flees into the desert, living in exile, marrying, and raising a family.
One day, while tending sheep, Moses encounters a bush that is on fire but not burning up. From the flames, God speaks to him, instructing him to remove his shoes because he is standing on holy ground. Then comes the command: Moses is to return to Egypt and free the Israelites. Unsurprisingly, Moses hesitates. I think most of us would! After all, he had run away for a reason. Facing Pharaoh would be daunting, and Moses knew his own limitations.
But God asks him a simple question: “What is that in your hand?”
Moses is holding his shepherd’s staff, just a simple tool for guiding sheep. Yet, in God’s hands, it becomes a powerful instrument, turning into a snake and back again. It is with this same staff that Moses will perform miracles, confront Pharaoh, and lead the Israelites out of Egypt.
Sometimes, we feel called to something beyond our abilities – something too big, too difficult, too far outside our comfort zone. We hesitate, just as Moses did. But God never sends us alone. He asks us to look at what we already have, however ordinary it may seem, and trust Him to use it in extraordinary ways.
So next time you feel overwhelmed by a task or uncertain about your abilities, pause and ask yourself: What’s in my hand? You might just find that God has already given you exactly what you need.
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