GODs BIG QUESTION

GOD’S BIG QUESTION: What’s in Your Hand? Exodus 4:1-5

I’d like to introduce someone to you today. Perhaps some of you have heard of him but for the benefit of those others, who may not know who he is, permit me this introduction.

<< READ EXODUS 2:1 – 3:22 >>

OK ... so here it is in a nutshell

Moses was special from birth ... he was preserved and protected for a purpose
Moses makes a few mistakes ... in fact a few horrible mistakes including murder
Moses runs from his sin and his crime and hides out in a dessert

Moses has lost direction and purpose in his life

He gets a job with his father in law taking care of dumb sheep
Moses is out minding his own business taking care of the sheep when God calls to him from a piece of burning scrub brush in the middle of the desert
God tells Moses that he has a purpose in life: to deliver the Hebrew people from bondage and slavery in Egypt ... this is why you were preserved Moses!
Moses gives excuses to God

Who will I tell them has sent me? What if they reject me? Don’t you remember the mess I left in Egypt?

And its in the middle of his excuses that God asks the BIG question that demands all of our attention ... << READ 4:1-2 (to 5) >>

WHAT IS IN YOUR HAND?

God’s question is simple

You and I are a lot like Moses ... Moses eyes were focused on two things:

Yesterday’s failures
Tomorrows fears ... what if ... I can’t pay my bills, what if I don’t get everything done that people are asking me to do ... what if they laugh at me when I stand up for you ... what if I make a fool of myself?

Moses was worried how people might respond to him
So often in our minds we build up events and play out scenarios and then panic over them because we’re sure we know what might go wrong

KNOW THIS WELL ... God has NEVER asked any of His people to go somewhere that He was not present! God has NEVER asked someone to do something that He has not already provided a means to help them and deliver them

The God that led and provided for Moses and all of the Prophets has not changed and He will not change!

And God knows that we are a lot like Moses so He asks us the same question right now ... a question that you and I can easily answer

WHAT IS IN YOUR HAND?

I know ... you likely have nothing visible in your hand right now but work with me ... Every day when you wake up, there are certain things that you know and have at your disposal. A job, a car, perhaps a computer or a snow shovel. Maybe it’s a pen or a scrub brush ... maybe you’ve just bought a coffee from Tim’s and you have a handful of change. Perhaps it’s TIME! WHAT ORDINARY THING IS IN YOUR HAND RIGHT NOW ... TODAY?

God is not asking us about tomorrow ... He takes care of tomorrow Faithfulness begins with today and with what’s in your hand now!*

Face the question you can answer today!

God’s question is strange

How many people here today don’t think God knew that Moses had a shepherd’s staff in his hand? RIGHT. God knew! And Moses knew ... it was an ordinary stick, maybe 5 or 6 feet long with a curve at one end. Every shepherd had one ... after all it was just a stick
... but to Moses, it was security!

How could God do something special with something of no value ... a stick?

But God would use that simple, no value stick time and again to teach Moses and us something of huge value ...

With this ordinary stick, Moses parted the Red Sea ... With the ordinary stick in his hand, Moses brought water out of a rock so that the people could drink in the desert ... With the ordinary stick in his hand, Moses and the people of Israel defeated the Amalekites in the desert ... God does great things with simple ordinary things that you and I say are worthless

All Moses had in his hand was a worthless stick that he used to help him walk ... help him lead the dumb sheep and maybe to kill the odd snake ... it was his security blanket (I mean stick)

But when Moses gave God all that he had ... even though it was only a stick ... God made miracles happen!

Jesus is asking us today the same question

What is in your hand? I’m not pretending to know what “IT” is but I think God is speaking to some of you right now. WHAT IS IN YOUR HAND?

You might say, “I don’t have much money” or, “I don’t have much time”. Perhaps you aren’t a teacher or a musician but I am sure of this, God has placed something ordinary in your hands that He wants to use for His glory.

So ... What do you have in your hand?

God is not rude. He will not make you give up what you have ... what you have is yours and you can do whatever you want with it. With all of your effort and all of your trying, you can make out of your time, your talents and your treasure whatever you want

But He won’t bless it until you are willing to throw it down and let God use it for His Glory!

God will do more with it than you ever can ... and you can trust Him because He is faithful to His Word
God has a purpose for you and a purpose for the things He has given you!

He wants to SAVE people with it ... He is our saviour
He wants to Sanctify it ... He wants to make it holy
He wants to Heal with it ... He wants it to be an instrument of renewal
He wants to point people to Jesus with it ...

After all, He is our Coming King!