The Power in Your Hand

Questioning the Lord, Moses protested several times. His fears and excuses so overwhelmed his mind that he dared to question the mighty voice coming from the burning bush. But for every excuse Moses made, God gave a promise.

God was calling Moses to deliver the people of Israel from out of slavery. God had made it clear that Moses was to be the chosen deliverer of a nation, but Moses was filled with doubt and uncertainty.

It came then to the point where Moses worried about whether or not the people would believe that he was sent by God. The scripture records his questioning:

But Moses protested again, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’?” Then the Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied. “Throw it down on the ground,” the Lord told him. So Moses threw down the staff, and it turned into a snake! Moses jumped back. – Exodus 4:1-3 (NLT)

Now, there is much more to this dialogue between God and Moses than we are about to examine. However, I want to just focus in on how the Lord responded to this line of questioning in particular: “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me?”

Moses wanted to know how he would proceed with leading the people of Israel.

God responded to Moses’s question with a question of His own.

“What’s in your hand?”

When backed by God’s power, what was in Moses’s hand was enough to complete the divine mandate. When backed by God’s power, what you have, right now, is enough to move forward.

So I ask you, dear reader, “What’s in your hand?”

Don’t wait for the ideal situation to present itself before you step out in obedience toward God. Whatever it is He has called you to do can be accomplished. The next step can be taken. The next task can be completed. You don’t need to wait. Just step out and do what you’re supposed to do right now with what you have in your hand.

It is enough.

Plant that church. Start that ministry. Preach the gospel. Teach the Word. Pray that prayer. Write that song. Begin.

Obey God.

Don’t worry about being promoted, recognized, or celebrated. Don’t fear failure, rejection, or heartache. Just let God empower you right where you are, right now. Obey, and leave the results up to God.

Use what He’s placed in your hand.

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The Unstoppable Favor of God

When God gives you a vision, He also gives you the favor to see that vision come to pass. Consider Nehemiah. After recognizing that Jerusalem’s walls needed to be repaired, Nehemiah set out to complete His God-given mandate. The favor of God was on Nehemiah, and that was proven when King Artaxerxes’ heart was inclined to grant Nehemiah’s request.

3but I replied, “Long live the king! How can I not be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” 4The king asked, “Well, how can I help you?” With a prayer to the God of heaven, 5I replied, “If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried.” 6The king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked, “How long will you be gone? When will you return?” After I told him how long I would be gone, the king agreed to my request. (Nehemiah 2:3-6, NLT)

But the favor didn’t stop there. Not only did the king grant Nehemiah the permission needed to fulfill his task - he also provided resources. 

8And please give me a letter addressed to Asaph, the manager of the king’s forest, instructing him to give me timber. I will need it to make beams for the gates of the Temple fortress, for the city walls, and for a house for myself.” And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me. (Nehemiah 2:8, NLT)

Of course, there was opposition to what Nehemiah was trying to accomplish for God, but the favor of God overruled the complaints of people.

That’s what happens when God’s favor is on you. 

You might be low on resources. People may speak against you. You may, at times, become discouraged and doubtful. But the gracious hand of God will cause you to see it through. If God gave you an assignment, He will give you to favor needed to complete it.

If God is for you, nobody can successfully come against you.

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Faith in Action

Faith is the key to the miraculous. Nothing is impossible when you put your hope in God Himself. That is the reality that ten lepers experienced.

11As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 12As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, 13crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. (Luke 17:11-14, NLT)

Jesus spoke it. The lepers believed it. And their confidence in His Word was demonstrated by their actions. The lepers were healed as they went. They simply dared to believe the Lord at His Word.

Dare we believe the Lord at His Word?

All too often, we wait for God to move when He’s waiting for us to move by faith. Too many are frozen in fear when they should be progressing in God’s promises. Rest assured, if God promised it, you can believe it. And if you truly believe it, faith will move you to action. 

Some miracles are instant, and sometimes the miracle happens as you go.

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The Potter's Hand

The rebellious nature has been crucified with Christ, but it seems that the rebellious nature often tries for a resurrection. We surrender things to God and then try to control them again. We place things in His hands and then try to hold them for ourselves again. We put things on the altar and then try to pull them off. We tend to forget that God is the potter, and that we are the clay.

“What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’ Does the pot exclaim, ‘How clumsy can you be?’ (Isaiah 45:9, NLT)

This is why we so desperately need the help of the Holy Spirit; it is only through the Holy Spirit that we can truly learn to surrender. 

Let God break your will and mold His. Let God reshape your thinking to be like His. Allow God to fashion your nature, your character, your speech, your thought patterns, and your conduct. Don’t fight Him. 

Realize that God’s vision for your life will often contradict your vision for your life. But considering the fact that you surrendered your life to Him when you got saved, can you truly say anymore that it’s “your” life?

Don’t fight the process. Don’t resist the movement of the Potter’s hand. Let Him break what needs to be broken. Let Him remove what needs to be removed. Let His desire take shape in you. 

Indeed, we are just the clay; He is the Potter. 

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On That Day

One day, everyone will give an account to God for their lives. Even believers will be evaluated by the Lord.

11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. 12 Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 13 But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames. (1 Corinthians 3:11-15, NLT)

The work that we do for the Lord, in our lives and ministries, will be evaluated and judged by the Lord Himself. Through fire, God will reveal what truly matters, what truly counts for eternity. 

On that day, when you look into His eyes of fire, when you hear His thunderous voice, how much money you made won’t matter. No worldly accomplishment will hold any value in itself anymore. On that day, our excuses will fail. Unable to even look up, you won’t be quick to assert the excuses that many hide behind: 

“I didn’t have enough time.”

“I didn’t feel it was the right time.”

“I was so busy. Surely you understand, Lord, why I couldn’t do what you asked me to do, why I couldn’t do as much as you asked me to do.”

On that day, we will give an account for how we invested or wasted our lives - in the very presence of the One Who gave us the precious gift of life. On that day, we will remember every wasted moment, every missed opportunity, every lazy decision. On that day, some will regret giving so much time to so many people and to so many things that were simply distractions from what mattered. On that day, many will regret investing so much into the things that become consumed in the fire of judgment. 

On that day, we will all wish we had done more.

On that day, we will all be both rewarded and convicted.

I want to live for what He will say to me, on that day.

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No More Excuses

Rightfully, we think of Moses as a powerful servant of the Lord, a hero in the faith. But, like many of us, when Moses was called, he responded to God’s commands with excuses.

9Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. 10Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.” 11But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?” 12God answered, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.” 13But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?” (Exodus 3:9-13, NLT)

We have the tendency to disqualify ourselves. When God gives us a mission, we recount our mistakes. When God gives us an assignment, we hide behind our imperfections. And while it might seem humble to count yourself out, think of the arrogance of saying, “I know better than God.” Think of the audacity of saying, “God’s power within me isn’t enough to make up for the flaws within me.”

I love the Lord’s response to Moses.

God replied to Moses, “I Am Who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you.” (Exodus 3:14, NLT)

In other Words, all that He is, the all-encompassing, eternal Being - God Himself - has sent you. Whatever you lack, He doesn’t give; whatever you lack, He is. Whatever your shortcomings, you can go because “I AM” goes with you. No more excuses. Go. Respond to the call of God.

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Following the Voice of the Holy Spirit

So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. - John 5:19 (NLT)

I don’t want to just obey the voice of the Holy Spirit from commitment to commitment. I want to obey His gentle leading from moment to moment. That’s exactly how Jesus did it.

Jesus did nothing unless He saw His Father doing the same. “Nothing” really means “nothing”. Jesus did not a single thing outside the will of God. Every thought He thought, every word He uttered, every act He made, every miracle He performed, every step He took – it was all part of the will of God.

Jesus walked in perfect obedience. He lived in the fine center of the will of God, and He did this by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit to carry out the will of the Father.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free,
and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”
– Luke 4:18-19 (NLT)

Can you imagine that? Jesus lived in the will of God right down to the millisecond! He missed not a single opportunity or appointment. He touched every life He was supposed to touch. He traveled every journey He was supposed to travel.

You read that Jesus wept, that Jesus taught, that Jesus fled, that Jesus ate, that Jesus slept, that Jesus prayed, and so forth. But not once will you read that Jesus hurried. Jesus never hurried. And Jesus never hurried, because Jesus was never late; He walked in the perfected will and timing of God.

You too can walk in the perfect will of God by simply daily obeying the voice of the Holy Spirit. Daily obedience to the voice of the Holy Spirit results in a life lived unto the glory of God. Aren’t you glad it’s so simple?

Of course, this does not mean that you should be carried away with fear, as many believers are. Often, believers will come to me and express their paranoid concerns about missing the perfect will of God. You need not worry, for the Holy Spirit will make sure that you stay within the will of God.

Don’t be overwhelmed with the constant fear of stepping outside of God’s will. And don’t be caught up in the emotional hype of superstition. Instead, be joyfully aware of the abiding Guide Who lives within you. Walk in the awareness of the Holy Spirit’s presence and be attentive to His instructions. Like Jesus, you too can walk in the will of God. You too can find divine appointments, godly opportunities, and sovereignly opened doors.

It’s so simple. You don’t need to rush. You don’t need to delay. You don’t need to fear. You simply need to yield. Do as the Holy Spirit instructs you. And if ever you stumble, don’t stay off track. Be quick to repent and slow to wander. Cling to the presence of the Holy Spirit. Listen for His voice and walk in the perfect will of God.

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Make Room for the Lord

One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. - Luke 5:1-3, NLT

Jesus presented the Word of God with such a magnetic anointing that large crowds would gather to hear Him preach. Because of the press of the crowd, Jesus was unable to address everyone effectively.  So He looked for a place from which He could effectively teach. That’s when the Lord took notice of two empty boats.

Jesus stepped into the boat, and, as He did, He asked Simon to push the boat into the water. Simon obliged.

After teaching the Word, Jesus told Simon to push the boat onto the water and cast his fishing nets into the water again. Simon was at first reluctant but then obeyed Jesus.

“Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking. - Luke 5:5-7, NLT

Simon had worked all night for a catch but caught nothing. But because He let down his nets in response to the command of Jesus, there was an abundance. Simon was likely exhausted from the night before – and likely discouraged. But what couldn’t be accomplished by man all night was accomplished by the Lord in a matter of moments.

Even Simon’s business partners, James and John, were blessed by Simon’s obedience toward Christ. And those around you will also be blessed at your obedience toward Christ – including your family and loved ones.

To top it off, Simon, James, and John were then called by Jesus to become His disciples. Can you imagine that? The failure of the night was likely forgotten in the joy of their newfound abundance and calling. How quickly things can change when Jesus comes on the scene!

But I can’t help but ask this question: what would have happened if the boats were not empty?

Sure, the call of the disciples was an important part of the sovereign plan of God, but you cannot forget the element of free will. People miss their opportunities everyday. Think of the rich young ruler who many Bible scholars say could have been a disciple of Jesus had he only given up his riches.

My point is this: have you left room for the Lord in your life?

Do you give Him time in prayer, the Word, and worship? Do you live attentive to the inner witness of the Holy Spirit?

You see, dear reader, the Lord will step into the lives of those who make room for Him. And, once there, the Lord will challenge you. Once you make room for the Lord, He will move on your behalf and then challenge you to forsake all and follow Him.

Think about it. The Lord had just blessed the disciples with an abundance of fish. Then He asked the disciples to leave that blessing and follow Him. Often, God will bless you just to test you. And, often, God will bless you just to show you that He is your source – that you need only to follow Him.

Once Jesus had stepped into the empty boat, He made a request of Simon – namely, to push the boat out onto the water. This is how the Lord works: He will challenge those who make room for Him. He will test those who seek Him. And He will bless those who by faith obey Him.

Have you made room for the Lord to challenge you? Have you given Him a place to speak into your life? Are you ever quiet enough to hear His voice?

Make room for the Lord. Once He’s on your boat, everything changes and rapidly so.

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The Surrendered Life

What qualifies one to be a minister of the gospel? What attributes must the believer acquire before he or she can be fit for the Master’s use?

Certainly, there are standards one must reach before being considered worthy of God’s high call. Such standards of proficiency are plainly laid out in the scripture. 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 lay out for us a general standard of leadership. But beyond those standards, we often reach or aim to reach further than we are able, further than God actually requires us to reach.

We disqualify ourselves based upon imperfections, inadequacies and past mistakes. In fact, some people have left the ministry and dread having to “regain” all that was lost. Accepting the definition their mistakes attribute, many believers, who might otherwise become a powerful tool in the hand of God, simply count themselves out.

When I first began to seek the Lord at the early age of eleven, I asked Him to use my life for whatever He saw fit. In my mind, I never considered myself to be great or ideal for God’s use. My prayers often sounded like this, “God, I don’t have much to offer, but use what you can.”

Of course, many would, at that point, interject something to the effect of, “Of course, you had much to offer!” While I appreciate the sentiment, if I am going to be real with you, in light of the endless abilities of God, it becomes quite apparent that we, in fact, have very little to offer to God.

But it’s never really been about what we can offer to Him; it’s always been about what He can do with what we offer to Him.

We may list qualifiers.  Some might think, “You need to speak eloquently, live perfectly, be charismatic and carry many talents.” While there might be some small truth to that sort of thinking, I can’t help but also think of Jesus’ disciples.

“The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.” - Acts 4:13

The disciples were, by all standards, ordinary men. They lacked special training in the scriptures, and they definitely weren’t perfect. Their qualification was, I strongly believe, their relationship with the Son of God. It was their personal and close connection with Christ Himself that enabled them to be used of God.

All true Spirit-filled ministries are forged in the fires of a passionate love for Jesus. The Holy Spirit within you is your greatest qualification for ministry.

If God were to use only men of renown, our thinking would by no means be confounded. If God only used the strong, the intelligent, the charismatic and the able, then what reason would there be to marvel at the enabling of divine grace?

“Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world,h things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.” - 1 Corinthians 1:27-29

God uses the weak to demonstrate His strength, the powerless to demonstrate His power and the broken to demonstrate His restoring grace.

Though you’ve likely never heard this thought delivered in this exact way, you’ve most likely heard this thought nonetheless. This truth only has power if you come to embrace it through acts of faith. The truth, no matter what your distracting internal monologue might suggest, is that God wants to use you and can use you.

Be encouraged. Take a step of faith. It’s not a matter of how gifted you are but of how surrendered you are. The life that is most suitable for the Master’s use is the surrendered one. Ask the Lord to use you. Make yourself available. Do it now in this moment, and then take a step of faith.

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Cast Your Net Again

“One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon, its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.’ ‘Master,’ Simon replied, ‘we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.’ And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear!” - Luke 5:1-6

Perhaps you’ve been believing for the salvation of certain loved ones. You’ve preached to them, conversed with them and maybe even argued with them a little bit. Still, there seems to be a resistance, a worldly stubbornness. When believing for the salvation of someone who resists the drawing of the Holy Spirit, it’s easy to become discouraged and disappointed. It can seem as though your prayers aren’t making much of a difference.

But, as Jesus encouraged the disciples, I want to encourage you to cast your net again. Each time you cast your net – evangelize – you are taking a step of faith. And you never know which cast will yield a great catch. Don’t give up. Don’t be discouraged. Keep casting your net, and, eventually, the miracle of salvation will occur. Your loved ones will come to know Jesus – it’s just a matter of time and prayer.

Your efforts are making a difference, whether you see it that way or not. For it is impossible to accomplish nothing in prayer. God’s Word does not return void, and your evangelism is making a difference.

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