What's That in Your Hand?

It is so easy for humans to find excuses of not doing certain things. Of course, there are people who have talents in given areas and which others do not. I cannot go and play against Michael Jordan in basket ball hoping to beat him. I cannot even think of challenging a wrestler for a fight. You realize that all these people have talents, but they had to train everyday to keep it going. Most basket ball players or wrestlers were born with some physical energy that even if I were to train everyday, I might not even get.

However, there is a story of a guy in Exodus 3 who, after messing up in Egypt by killing an Egyptian while he was protecting a Hebrew, had an encounter with God at what is called Mount Horeb. His name is Moses. He was born from Hebrew parents and hid in a basket and then put on the river. Pharaoh's daughter was taking a bath along the river and then found the basket. She adopted this baby boy and named him Moses. Moses had to leave Egypt when two Hebrews told him not to get into their business because they did not want him to kill them as he did to the Egyptian. That scared him thinking that the news had already spread in the nation. Based on that, he would then leave and go to find refuge in Midian. There, he married Ziporah and began to work for his father in law, Jethro.

One day, he went to this mount Horeb where most people avoided to head to. This was the belief in much of the ancient world that there are deities or some god's activities on top of every mountain. Moses, however, thought he should go and check it out.
How many times, have we always run away from problems? Avoidance and flight are what come into our mind when we face challenges. When the situation becomes conflicted, we, humans, often leave and go. Moses was though a persistant guy. He wanted to get closer to the situation, which was a burning bush. A bush burning but not consumed. Can you ponder this? Would this not sound very impossible to us? It was real and that's why Moses wanted to know more about it. What would you do if you saw something like that? Moses gets closer and then heard a voice calling him by his name. What an amazing experience! Have you ever heard a real voice? Or would that be related to some mental and psychiatric illness?

In this story, it was not. It was God calling Moses for a mission. This was a liberating ministry that was set before him. Every human situation can be turned into a liberating experience. In the midst of all things that happen to us, there are some elements of redemption. It does not mean that the ending of every matter should always be that all things agree with our goals or desires. Getting closer to the burning bush is scary at first, but the closer you get the more knowledge you get. You only hear God's voice when you are in the midst of a situation, crisis, conflict, or challenge.

What do you do when you're facing moments of fears, anxieties in your life? Do you choose the flight or avoidance paths, or do you choose to get closer in an attitude of prayer? If you do like Moses, God will then watch and wait until you get so much close. Then you hear God's voice from the midst of the burning bush. God calls us by our names like He did with Moses. There is nothing of us that can be hidden to our Maker. When we hear God's voice, it is about this liberating ministry.

In the case of Moses, it was about liberating the Israelites from slavery. In your case, it could be liberation from sin, from a disease, from death, from losses, or you name it. Someone needs to get over something. Some justice needs to be done for someone who seeks liberation. For liberation to take place, there is need of a liberator. For the Hebrews, Moses was their liberator. Today, for some situation in the church, you may be one. God would like to use you and me to set someone free.

Are you ready to respond to that calling today? Moses looked at his limitations when he received the call. He used these as an excuse for not wanting to go back to Egypt. He did not have any knowledge of God because he grew up and was raised as an Egyptian. He had then to learn with time to trust in the Lord. His assurance and faith grew with time. Therefore Moses was not perfect. He was very inept to really qualify for such a mission.
God is not looking for a perfect person for a mission. He is looking for someone like you and me. He is looking for very ordinary people to use them to do extraordinary things. Everyone can qualify to be God's servant, but the starting point is to hear God's voice and say yes to it. There are many burning bushes around us, in our church, in the global church, in our communities and in the world around us. God is in search of more Moses's.

When Moses struggled with the idea that he would not really be able to help with this mission, God asked him: "what's that in your hand?" How many times, have been asked to do something in church or community, and your response has been: "I am not able to do this?" God will not use what you don't have, but just the staff in your hands. We all have potentials that God needs to use to liberate someone.

When you wake up in the morning, do you see yourself as a Moses? Do you trust God to use every word, every deed and everything of yourself to change someone else' s life? How do you respond to problems, crises, diseases, conflicts, losses and challenges? Do you run away or do you choose to be a Moses and face the situation to find God's redemptive presence in it?

Friends, when you are in front of a burning bush (a situation you feel it needs a remedy), that means you're there for a reason. God would like to use you in extraordinary ways to touch and save somebody. Make everyday a Mosaic opportunity, a redemptive and liberating experience for someone through you.

Be Blessed & Encouraged Always!