What God Can Do with What You Already Hold

The Bible in a Year

“The Lord said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?’ And he said, ‘A staff.’”
Exodus 4:2

As we continue our year-long walk through Scripture, we come to a moment in the life of Moses that feels strikingly familiar. God has called him to an overwhelming task—returning to Egypt, confronting Pharaoh, and leading an enslaved people to freedom. Moses responds the way many of us would: with hesitation, self-doubt, and a carefully constructed list of reasons why someone else would be better suited. He questions his adequacy, his authority, and his credibility. Into that swirl of reluctance, God asks a deceptively simple question: “What is that in your hand?”

The question is not about information. God already knows what Moses is holding. It is an appeal—an invitation to see ordinary things through divine purpose. Moses answers plainly: a rod, a shepherd’s staff. The Hebrew word matteh refers to a walking stick, a tool of daily labor, an object so familiar it hardly registers as valuable. Moses sees it as nothing more than a symbol of obscurity and exile. God, however, sees it as something that can be yielded. Before God addresses Moses’ fear, He addresses Moses’ grip. If God is going to work through Moses, Moses must first place into God’s hands what is already in his own.

This appeal confronts us gently but directly. When God calls His people, He rarely begins by supplying something new. More often, He asks for what is already present—abilities, opportunities, relationships, experiences, even wounds. Submission precedes expansion. The call of God is not first about capacity but availability. As A. W. Tozer once observed, “God is looking for people through whom He can do the impossible—what a pity that we plan only the things we can do by ourselves.” Moses’ staff becomes significant not because it is impressive, but because it is surrendered.

The passage then moves naturally into appraisal. Moses’ answer reveals how little he values what he holds. It is simply “a rod.” Nothing special. Yet once yielded to God, Scripture begins to refer to it differently—“the rod of God” (Exodus 4:20). The object does not change in substance, but it is transformed in purpose. In God’s hands, that same staff becomes an instrument of divine action. It turns into a serpent before Pharaoh. It stretches over Egypt during the plagues. It is lifted over the Red Sea as the waters part. It strikes the rock to bring forth water in the wilderness. It is raised during battle as Israel prevails over Amalek. What Moses dismissed as ordinary becomes woven into the story of redemption.

This pattern runs consistently through Scripture. God delights in using what seems small, overlooked, or insufficient. Jesus later draws attention to a widow who offers two small coins, noting that her gift outweighed the offerings of the wealthy because it represented trust rather than surplus. Paul echoes the same truth when he reminds the Corinthians that God often chooses what is weak in the world to shame the strong. Our appraisal is frequently distorted by comparison, but God’s appraisal is shaped by obedience. What we consider insignificant, God considers available.

Yet the question, “What is in your hand?” also carries an admonition. It asks not only what we are willing to give to God, but what we may need to release. Scripture consistently warns that some things, when held onto, hinder fellowship and dull discernment. Moses could not carry Egypt with him into God’s mission, and neither can we cling to habits, influences, or relationships that contradict God’s holiness. The call to empty our hands of what dishonors God is not punitive; it is preparatory. God clears our hands so He may fill them rightly.

This admonition requires honest self-examination. What occupies our attention, our time, and our affection? What do we grasp for comfort, escape, or validation? The question is not merely about outward objects but inward attachments. Jesus’ teaching repeatedly presses this issue, reminding His listeners that where our treasure is, there our hearts will be also. Empty hands are not a sign of loss, but readiness.

As we reflect on this passage in our journey through the Bible, we are reminded that faithfulness is rarely dramatic at the outset. It begins with recognition—seeing what God has already placed within reach—and with surrender—placing it fully at His disposal. Moses’ story assures us that God is not waiting for us to become extraordinary before He works. He is waiting for us to trust Him with what we already hold.

For further reflection on this theme, see this article from Desiring God on God’s use of ordinary obedience:
https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/god-uses-ordinary-obedience

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🎙️ Lori Marquardt, founder of Live Big and Loud and personal coach, joins Eileen to share how after 20 years as a therapist, she felt called to serve those with Parkinson’s and neurological conditions.

Her journey shows the power of trusting God’s call—because obedience changes everything.
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https://bdking71.wordpress.com/2025/04/05/living-with-purpose-understanding-gods-calling/

John Trapp was an English, Anglican, bible commentator. Here he considers Psalms 41:1-3 and 111:9. Given that God will reward those who have mercy to the poor, this is surely a greater gain than spending money on personal vanity.

Note he is talking about giving to the poor, not to a preacher’s jet aeroplane fund.

How can you considereth the poor today?

#christian #inspireothers #loveallserveall #beavoice #godscalling

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Apart from me you can do NOTHING 🍃☦🌸🛐

#BodyOfChrist #BornAgainChristians #ChosenOnes

~ KEEP drawing closer to our heavenly Father through the lord, #JesusChrist as #HolySpirit leads and guides us

▫️KEEP pursuing #GodsWill toward humankind

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