“So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.”
Then Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand.”
Exodus 4:2, 20 NKJV
It’s human nature; we want to control our own stuff. But allow me to present a scenario.
Suppose you had any kind of greatly loved and valued possession; let’s say it’s a family heirloom grandfather clock. Now let’s imagine that the grandfather clock is seized up and nothing is working. You’re no longer hearing the beautiful chimes and the time on it is stuck at 7:25. Would you set out to try to repair the grandfather clock, having no experience in this sort of repair? Of course not! You would find someone trained to fix vintage grandfather clocks and submit it to their care, knowing they can do what you can’t do. Here, because you know that this thing you value needs help you can’t provide, you relinquish it into the hands of someone who can do what you can’t do.
Now let’s take it up to a whole new level: Let’s say your child has something terribly wrong with them and they need surgery to save their life. Would you set in to try to do that surgery? Or would you submit their care to a trained surgeon to do what needs to be done? Of course, we all know the answer to that. Because you have no ability to help someone you love, here too, you relinquish that person into the hands of someone who can do what you cannot, dare not, do.
Now—in light of these two examples—we might then wonder why it is so difficult for us to put what is our stuff, or pertaining to our own lives, into the hand of the Lord? Is He not the creator of all things and therefore the expert on . . . EVERYTHING? Can he not do for you what you cannot do for yourself? Isn’t that what He has already done in becoming the perfect sacrifice to take away our permanent sin stain?
If you ever went to Sunday school for any length of time, you have heard the story of the little boy who gave Jesus five loaves and two fish with which Jesus fed 5000 men (if the women and children were included, you can see how that number would be increased geometrically).
“There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?” And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.”
John 6:9, 11 NKJV
Now, this little boy could have just eaten his lunch. Indeed, he would’ve had every right to do so. Yet, this little boy—taking what was rightfully his and placing it in the hands of the Master—supplied food for a multitude! And, I would imagine he got the lion’s share of the 12 baskets of leftover bread fragments.
Your stuff is yours and you are free to do with it as you please. Indeed, the Lord won’t wrestle anything from your hands.
But consider, those things in your life that remain unsubmitted to the Lord, can only prosper according to your ability—or lack of the same. But, when you submit your life and your stuff to the Lord, it becomes His. And when it becomes His, it is now operating according to His power and is subject to His protection, care, and keeping. In this way, God’s unlimited ability and fathomless resources come to bear as your stuff becomes His stuff.
Jesus—in speaking of His personal sacrifice—said something that can also be applied to anything we put in His hands:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”
John 12:24-25 NKJV
In today’s opening scripture we find Moses still in the midst of his first encounter with God. And he is still questioning what he will do to be able to prove to the people that he was sent by the Lord.
The Lord points Moses to the rod that was in his own hand. And that ordinary rod came to do extraordinary things in the court of Pharaoh and beyond. How did this come to be?
Let’s consider the difference between the first verse in our opening scripture (Exodus 4:2) and the next verse (Exodus 4:20). Notice, the rod started out as Moses’ rod, but then is referenced in verse 20 as “the rod of God in his hand.” Yes, this is how what began as an ordinary rod would be used to bring great and mighty miracles.
Please know, you can put walls around your life and your stuff, making sure you have complete control. Good “luck” with that; and “luck” will be the only thing you’ll have to depend on. Or, you can submit everything into the hand of the Lord.
Now, we’re not talking about taking a poverty oath, giving all your stuff away, and becoming a monk on a mountain (unless that is what the Lord has called you to do).
What we are promoting here is having the attitude that whatever God asks of your life—or of your stuff—is done.
For today let us discover what Moses discovered:
Your stuff—submitted to God—becomes God’s stuff.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
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