Then the anger of the Lord burned against Moses, and He said, "Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do. Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him. 17 You shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs.” Exodus 4:14-17
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When God sent Moses on a mission to free the Israelites from bondage in Egypt, He didn't send Moses empty handed. He said "You shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs.” Remember, this is the staff that turned into a snake when Moses threw it on the ground at God's command.
Why the staff?
Well, God desires to perform mighty miracles through all of us but two things hold him back.
1. Our lack of faith
2. Our lack of humility
In the first instance, Moses was convinced he was incapable of fulfilling God's demands so he said “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” This is, of course what angered God. Our lack of faith is an offense to God. When He commissions us He also prepares and equips us. Aaron was God's provision.
On the other hand, lack of humility is a human failing that allows us to believe we are capable of more than we really are. Over the years I have encountered many Christians who have had no difficulty taking credit for their accomplishments. Sadly, it's precisely this hubris that prevents God from performing even mightier works through them. God will not be mocked! For this reason, the staff is a critically important symbol in the life of Moses. It is a reminder that all Divine power comes to us from the outside, not the inside. Even the Holy Spirit is an external source of power, though He has chosen to reside within us. Which, of course adds to the confusion for many of us. The miracles God had in mind for Moses were so dynamic that even Moses might begin to believe in his own notoriety. So...God gave him a staff so he would never forget the source of the power.
The obvious question is simple; How miraculous are our lives? Could we liberate an entire nation? God is always looking for a vessel through which He might work His glorious miracles. If that vessel isn't us, we should be asking Him..."Lord, is it my lack of faith or my lack of humility?"
And, when you get that resolved...hang on tight!
Live boldly out there today...
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